The Watch and the Ring
by tiff098765
Summary: Everybody's in Kate's business, trying to help her move forward. Lots of Jim & Rick conspiring to make Caskett happen. Sweet story; it'll make you feel good. It might make you laugh & cry a little.
1. Chapter 1

The Watch and the Ring.

Slowly, Katherine stirred, not for the first time. However, it was the first time she opened her eyes. She was not yet lucid, so all she could comprehend was that she was in a hospital bed and the two men she loved most were at her side. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

Tears welled in both men's eyes when they saw her look at them, giving them both a look of silent recognition. It only lasted a moment, and neither of them had a chance to speak before her eyes closed again.

"She didn't look like she was in pain, right?" Her father's voice was fearful.

"No, she's got plenty of morphine right now. She's not hurting." Her partner and best friend knew her fleeting expressions well enough that he knew she didn't feel pain.

The two men settled back into their seats, hoping the next time she stirred, she would actually wake up. Lanie had brought clothes and toiletries for Jim, and Martha had done the same for Rick. Other friends and loved ones came and went, but these two stayed. Despite the objections of family, friends, and a certain doctor they did their best to ignore, they stayed. They used the shower in the hospital suite. No longer in the ICU, Kate was in the nicest VIP room Rick could procure. Their chairs were comfortable and they could take turns sleeping on the fairly decent couch. But it wasn't like they had actually done much sleeping.

The two men got to know each other quite well in the days sitting by that bed, waiting for her to wake up. Jim told stories of Kate as a child, her first crush, which boy bands got to have their posters on her walls. She'd been a funny kid. Strong and independent, but tons of fun and quick with a smile. Rick told him of the pranks she'd pulled on him when he thought he'd been cursed by a mummy. Jim was glad her sense of humor had finally come back. They had gone a long time without real laughter.

Jim told of when she beat up the neighborhood bully for picking on a little kid. How they tried to get her involved in Girl Scouts, but sing-alongs, sit-upons, and cookie sales just weren't her thing. Rick laughed at the mental image of a little bitty Kate in a Brownie uniform, complete with beanie. Instead she joined Little League baseball. The league allowed girls, but she was the only girl on her team.

"She gave those boys hell, Rick. They tried to say girls couldn't play. She had to be the best, in part to prove them wrong, in part to prove herself right. She made all-stars." He chuckled. So did Rick.

Rick looked over at her and rubbed his thumb across the hand he was holding. "Sounds like she hasn't changed all that much." He smiled as a memory of her floated by and softly said, "Joe freakin' Torre. I've never seen her so excited."

Hours passed. Naps were taken. Coffee was practically mainlined.

Sadness clouded Jim's face. "She wears my watch. Did she tell you why?" Rick nodded.

Jim sighed and continued, "I wish she'd stop. Being a literature buff, she loves symbolism. I know she says she wears it as a reminder of the life she saved - and that's true- but it's more than that. The ring, too. They're not just reminders. They're warnings."

_Thanks to MelTheorist for the idea. Please review! Pretty please!_


	2. Chapter 2

2

x

A/N: I'm going to hit on religion here. If you don't agree with this part, it's okay. It's about Jim's feelings. And you'll still like the rest of the story.

x

_Previously: Jim wishes Kate would stop wearing his watch & Johanna's ring. He told Rick they symbolize more than a life lost and a life saved. They are warnings._

_x_

Before Rick could ask what he meant by that, there was a soft knock at the door. It was more of Jim's friends, bringing them some food. It seemed as though his whole Sunday School class had signed up to bring food and a visitor every four hours or so. Some would stay for a while and visit. Some would just shake hands and remind him that they were praying for Kate and Jim both. A couple of them actually prayed aloud in the hospital room. At first, it made Rick uncomfortable, but there was no way he would object. If there was a chance prayers could help her, then they could pray nonstop. He even found himself hoping there was Someone listening to and caring about those prayers.

When the visitors left, Rick took a deep breath and resumed their previous conversation. "Jim, what did you mean by the watch and ring being warnings?" He had a fair idea, but wanted to her what her father had obviously put a lot of thought into.

"When Katie was in 11th grade, she had to write a research paper for AP Lit. Symbolism in _The Lord of the Flies_. We didn't take her to church often as a kid, so she only knew the basics. So as she discovered all the symbols _Lord of the Flies_, and what they meant, she was fascinated. Each time she found a new one, it was like unwrapping a Christmas gift. The story made complete sense without understanding any of the subtext, but was made so much richer if you got it."

Rick nodded in complete understanding. He could follow this tangent easily. It didn't seem to answer his question, but it wasn't like he had somewhere else to be.

"Then, her senior year, she read _Crime and Punishment_. Her teacher told her it was too big for a high school kid to conquer, even in an AP class. Guess how well she took that advice." Jim smirked. "So she loved Dostoyevsky and ended up studying Russian lit. …Hmm… _Lord of the Flies_ and _Crime and Punishment_. And here we are."

If Rick hadn't read the books, Jim wouldn't have made much sense. But he had, so he got it.

Jim looked guilty. "I can handle this, Rick. You've seen all these people coming to support me. In the AA meetings, you're supposed to acknowledge a Higher Power. Katie took me, fall-down-drunk into a meeting at the church we occasionally took her to as a kid. They took care of me. I'd tried meetings before, but that one was different. I don't know if it was because I was drunk, or because she half-carried me in & sat with me through it, or because the goodness of the people there, or just God's timing, but it was different. It was the night my life was saved. I'm not saying I'll never mess up - I am an addict, but I have support I didn't have before.

When I was early on in recovery, surrounded by these new friends, I remembered that paper on _The Lord of the Flies_. I wondered if I had done her a disservice in not raising her in a way that she could have recognized the symbols right away. Because, maybe later in life, maybe that kind of upbringing would have helped. Maybe she would have been able to deal with her mother's death without becoming a cop. Maybe, if she'd had these wonderful people around her," he nodded towards the door, "and a faith of her own…" He trailed off because it hurt to think of the happy life she could have had if they'd been able to handle her mom's death better. "Maybe if I'd had that, I wouldn't have ever needed to be dragged into an AA meeting in the first place."

Rick didn't know what to say. He really didn't think that taking Katie to church more as a kid would have made much difference in the way things had gone, but he'd never been, so he didn't actually know. But he did know that these good people were clearly showing an outpouring of love for their friend. Maybe Jim was on to something. This kind of support would definitely help you through a tragedy.

"Anyway, that wasn't how it went. I couldn't deal, and I was so lost. Poor Katie. She lost both of her parents that night. I'd go to meetings here and there, but never stayed on the wagon for long. After getting in this group, though, I stayed with it. Got involved in the church. Then I got invited to go on a weekend retreat, and we weren't allowed to wear watches or take cell phones or anything. That's when she took my watch. She was happy for me. I was doing better. But her smile was guarded. She'd been waiting for me to fall off the wagon again. She had to watch over me. She had to keep me straight." Jim opened the drawer with her personal belongings in it and took out his watch.

He turned it over in his fingers, fiddling with it. "Even once I was well into recovery, she couldn't stop watching over me. She's still expecting me to let her down. Every time she looks at her wrist, she's reminded that the one person who is supposed to be the most responsible for taking care of her… failed her. It warns her to not let it happen again. To guard herself against expecting promises to be kept. To believe that the ones you love will let you down. It warns her not to hope."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Rick's response surprised them both.

xxx

_Rick's a man with a plan… at least the beginnings of a plan. Stay tuned to find out what!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Previously: Jim turned the watch over in his fingers, fiddling with it. "Even once I was well into recovery, she couldn't stop watching over me. She's still expecting me to let her down. Every time she looks at her wrist, she's reminded that the one person who is supposed to be the most responsible for taking care of her… failed her. It warns her to not let it happen again. To guard herself against expecting promises to be kept. To believe that the ones you love will let you down. It warns her not to hope."_

_x_

"So what are you going to do about it?" Rick's response surprised them both. He knew that Kate was proud of her father for staying sober for so long, but he completely believed Jim's reasoning for why she still wore his watch.

"What do you mean? What _should_ I do about it?"

"Take it back." Rick's answer sounded decisive and commanding. But Jim didn't believe it was right. Seeing the indecision in the older man's face, Rick explained. "You say you can handle this. Not because you're so much better, but because you've got a good support system, lots of people who care, and faith to stand on. Maybe you're right. So let her know you don't need her watching over you anymore. Take your watch back. Put it on."

He watched as a bemused smile slowly spread across Jim's face. Then the older man nodded and strapped the watch onto his own wrist.

Rick smiled. "Good for you. Now I'm guessing the ring's warning is similar?"

Jim nodded again. "Smart man. It's Johanna's engagement ring. Katie didn't date much in high school. There were a couple of short-lived romances, but, mostly, the boys were intimidated by her. She thought they didn't like her. We tried to convince her that they just thought they didn't have a chance, but she didn't buy it.

So she ended up going out with some losers. Guys that either thought so much of themselves that they could have any girl in the world, or guys who were so used to being turned down that one more rejection didn't really matter. The arrogant jerks got kicked to the curb quickly, and the boys that really weren't in her league became close friends. In college, it was more of the same.

She told Johanna once that she didn't think she'd ever find the kind of love that we had. She'd flirt, but the guys she really liked, the good guys, never asked her out. She started to like a slightly older guy in her kickboxing class, and she was thrilled when he flirted back. Katie's so cute when she has a crush. Then she found out that the kickboxer was married. You can imagine how angry she was, and embarrassed. One of the entitled rich boys that she dated made the mistake of thinking he could hit her. Once. He couldn't chew anything for a while after that. Have you seen my Katie's hook kick?" Rick nodded, thinking of her breaking their kiss to knock out the guard where Lockwood was holding Ryan and Esposito.

Jim continued, "But being so insecure about boys made her have to learn to be secure on her own. And my Johanna would tell her to take her time. That she'd find the right man, and to not force it. Then they'd have a lifetime to love each other. She'd have all the time in the world." He sighed.

"And then she died," Rick completed Jim's thought. Oh, the irony.

"And then she died. Kind of made that advice hard to believe."

"I can see how." Rick reached over and caressed Kate's cheek. He couldn't imagine how any guy could not be crazy about her. He'd always thought she'd had her pick of men, anyone she wanted.

Jim watched the loving gesture Rick made and the intense look on his face. He continued spelling it out for Rick. "So she put that ring around her neck every morning. The life she lost. They were so close, even in her rebellious phase. Johanna was her encourager. Her confidante. The one who gave great advice when Katie didn't know what choices to make and always made those choices easier. We were her example of a lifelong love, a fairy-tale marriage.

So she wears that ring close to her heart, reminding her of those things about her mom, but also of how it was all taken away. How she lost her own normal life that night. Warning her that even if she finds the epic romance that her mom promised her, that it could be taken away in a moment of tragedy. So it, too, tells her to guard her heart and warns her of the danger of having hope."

Rick wasn't so quick to respond this time.

Finally, he asked, "So, what are we going to do about that?"

Jim smiled, realizing that Rick said "we" this time.

xxx

_Please tell me what you think!_


	4. Chapter 4

_4_

_Previously: Jim starts wearing his watch, symbolizing Kate doesn't have to watch over him anymore. Jim & Rick discuss the ring reminding Kate to guard her heart._

_x_

Finally, he asked, "So, what are we going to do about that?"

Jim smiled, realizing that Rick said "we" this time. "That's a good question. I guess we start with me taking the ring home with me. I could use the reminder of happier times, I guess. She'll need replacements, though. If we're taking her mementos from the past, they've got to be replaced with ones that make her think of the future."

There was another knock at the door. It was Lanie. Followed by Josh. Rick let go of Kate's hand and backed up. The two visitors checked on her and talked to her, asking Jim and Rick if there had been any change. Jim said she'd opened her eyes a little for a second, but that was it. Josh said she would probably be waking up soon, and asked Jim to call him when she woke up. As Josh closed the door to head back to work, Rick told Jim to hold off on taking Johanna's ring from Kate for a while. Lanie was confused, but didn't ask what they were talking about. But Jim understood that Rick didn't want Josh to be the one replacing the engagement ring. Eventually Esposito arrived for a visit with a bag of burgers for Jim and Castle, and he and Lanie left together.

Rick picked up his phone and started fiddling with it. After a few minutes, he spoke again to Jim. "I saw a watch months ago and wanted to buy it for Kate. Of course, I didn't. Coffee and maybe flowers, and an occasional meal, she'll let me pay for. I bought her a dress once, for an undercover sting, and Lanie said she wasn't happy. But it she was so gorgeous in it. So I saw this watch, and we'd been through so much. But I thought she was trying to make things work with Josh, and I thought she wouldn't want it…"

Jim was slightly amused by Rick's rambling. He'd never seen him have trouble with words.

Rick rambled on, "But I saw it and it was simple and not extravagant, so she could wear it to work, but beautiful and elegant, like her, and I even thought of an inscription, if there's room. 'Time to make new memories.'" Rick held up the phone to show Jim a picture of the watch he'd seen. "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect. And the inscription would be perfect, too. But you'll probably have to just write that on a note. It won't fit on a small watch." Jim smiled as he watched Rick nod and place the order online. Rick stopped and thought for a moment, then typed out a different inscription, checked the boxes for gift wrapping and delivery, and finalized his order.

Jim realized that Rick had already been thinking along the same lines as he had concerning the watch. His idea for the inscription made it obvious. He wondered if Rick had long since thought the same about Johanna's ring. Maybe Rick had already window shopped for an engagement ring, too.

Jim very quietly asked, "You love her, don't you?"

"Very much." Rick looked Kate's father in the eye when he answered.

"Well, don't forget what I said about the good guys never having the guts to ask her out."

"I won't."

Rain began fall against the window and made the windows shimmer in the artificial light of New York nighttime. Jim and Rick both were nodding off in their chairs when Kate finally began to rouse again.

Jim saw her movement first. "Hey, sweetheart. Hey." He kept his voice calm and soothing. She opened her eyes. He slid closer to her and held her hand tight and offered her some ice.

Rick woke and knelt by her bed, not wanting to lose a second by stopping to pull up the chair. "Kate." He really didn't know what to say. He didn't know if she'd just go right back to sleep again, or if she'd stay awake this time.

But she looked at them , tried to smile, and said, "Hey." Not very poetic. Rick had been wondering what the first thing she'd say would be; if she'd ask for Josh, or for him if he wasn't in the room, or where she was, or why she was there. But he was so thankful that she was awake that "Hey" sounded like angels singing.

She tried to move a little and winced.

"Do you hurt?" Jim asked, alarmed.

"It's not bad," she whispered.

Castle just looked at her, rubbing his thumb on her hand, and stroked her hair. "You sure? We can call the nurse." She gently shook her head no.

Jim kissed her forehead and said, "I'm going to tell the nurses you're awake." He reluctantly let go of her hand and stepped into the hall.

Rick looked in her eyes and whispered, "Are you really okay? I don't want you hurting."

"Yes, for now. …Rick?"

He was so overcome that she was awake and talking that he only raised his eyebrows in response for fear that he'd cry instead of speak.

"How close… was I?"

Tears rolled down his cheeks. It took a few tries before he could actually force his voice to come, and it cracked when it finally did. "So close. We almost lost you. Twice." He couldn't hold back the tears. "I'm so glad you're alive, Kate. You just don't know…" he stroked her hair again.

She squeezed his hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

Jim had been watching from the doorway. The two nurses came in the room and worked around them, checking her vitals and asking her questions, and Rick scooted out of their way, but never let go of her hand. Jim returned to his spot in his chair and held her other hand, eyes shining with tears. She looked like she was going to be okay. She smiled at both of them. It made their hearts soar. He didn't mind at all when he saw Rick kiss his daughter's hand a few more times. Kate didn't seem to mind, either.

But the tall doctor standing in the doorway most certainly did mind.

x

_OK, readers, audience participation time: what do you think the inscription will be on the watch? _


	5. Chapter 5

_5._

_Previously: Jim & Rick talked of Kate need ring a new watch & new ring. Josh stopped by. Rick bought a watch for her. Kate woke up. Rick kissed her hand and made googoo eyes at her, Josh saw him do it. _

x

Josh walked into the room and Kate lolled her head to focus on figuring out who was coming toward her. "Hey… Josh." Jim noticed she didn't smile for him. He asked the same questions they'd asked, plus more about her pain and ability to move. He seemed to care about her, but there was something Jim didn't trust about him. Or maybe it was just that Kate talked about Rick - or 'Castle' as she called him half the time - far more than she talked about Josh. Jim was surprised that Josh was around. He seemed to be on-again, off-again, because she could go for weeks and weeks without even mentioning his name. But she always had a story about Rick. Jim thought they'd broken up for good the last time he'd headed out of country. His philanthropic efforts were admirable, but no father wants his daughter to be with someone who won't be there for her, no matter what his job is.

Josh was checking on Kate for himself, making sure she was okay, until she was tired and hurting and wouldn't try to move how he asked. Castle intervened. "Josh. Stop it. Don't you see you're hurting her?"

Josh gave Rick a look that would have made lesser men cower, but Rick stood and said, "Josh. Stop."

Josh turned and headed toward the door, saying, "Castle. A word, please."

Rick followed him out while a nurse increased Kate's morphine. As Jim heard the men's voices becoming louder and angrier in the hall, he held his daughter's hand as she drifted back to sleep.

xox

When Kate woke again, Lanie was at her bedside. "Where are my dad and Castle?" Her words were only a little slurred.

Lanie smiled. "I made them go walk around. You're stable and have been waking up, and they haven't left here. At all. I wouldn't have, either, if Javi hadn't made me."

"Mmm… bad cafeteria food for days on end. Yuck." Lanie smiled at the attempt at humor.

"No, sweetie, your dad's friends have kept them well supplied with good food and lots of prayers. Must have been some good prayers, too, girl, because I really don't know how you survived a sniper shot at such close range." Lanie's eyes were shining again.

"How did it happen? I remember getting out of the car at the cemetery for the service. Nothing after that."

Lanie told her. She told her how far into her eulogy she'd gotten, and that Castle saw the glint & tried to save her. How he held her. She told her through tears how they rode with her in the ambulance and almost lost her. She didn't tell Kate how they stood, sobbing in the hall covered in her blood, helpless to do anything more. Lanie didn't want to ever have to talk about that.

The door opened as Jim and Rick came in in the middle of a conversation.

Lanie wiped her tears away and said, "Hey guys, look who's up."

They both smiled brightly at her. Jim walked up and took her hands. "How ya feeling, Katiebear?"

"Mostly lucid. It's improvement, I guess. Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"You're wearing your watch."

"I am."

She looked at him quizzically. She would have been more angry if she didn't have pain killers coursing through her blood. As it was, she was confused.

"Katiebear, Rick and I talked a lot the last few days. One of the things we talked about was my recovery. I'm taking back my watch because you don't need to watch over me anymore, and I don't want you to have a constant reminder of my addiction strapped to your wrist all the time."

She looked between him and Rick, trying to decide whether she should be happy or upset. She looked to Lanie, who smiled and shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea to me, sweetie."

She looked back to Rick, who was pulling something out of his pocket. He sat on the end of her bed and smiled sweetly at her, passing her a beautifully wrapped gift.

She unwrapped it, opened the box, and took the silver watch from its packaging. It was perfect.

Rick softly said, "Kate, it's time to make some new memories."

Lanie's reacton was more obvious than Kate's, but she didn't have an IV & monitors attached to her. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she grinned, "Awwww."

Kate smiled and looked into Rick's eyes. "Thank you, Rick. This is very sweet."

"There's an inscription."

She flipped the watch over and read the tiny letters.

She looked to Lanie and said, "You told him?" Lanie didn't know what Kate meant but couldn't ask; because Kate looked back to Rick, grinning from ear to ear, saying, "I would have expected it to say 'Always.'"

Rick smiled back and said, "Nah. We can't have both gifts having the same inscription."

It was Jim's turn to grin. _So Rick had already thought about the ring. Did he buy one? _Jim wondered.

Kate wondered if she was missing something because she was drugged. But Lanie looked confused, too. "There's another gift?"

"Yep. But you can't have it yet." Rick offered her a playful lopsided grin.

She rolled her eyes.

xox

_Last chance to guess the inscription! Please leave me a review. I'm addicted to them. They're like crack._


	6. Chapter 6

6

_Previously: Now Kate's awake. Rick gave her a new watch after she realized her dad was wearing his old one._

x

"Lemme see," Lanie said, taking the watch from Kate. She looked at the face of it, approved, and flipped it over. She gasped and put her hand on her chest. She smiled and shook her head, giving Castle a look that said something like, "You sly dog."

Castle asked Kate if she'd like some coffee, and went to get her some decaf contraband. He checked with a nurse to make sure it was okay, even though Kate's diet hadn't officially been changed. He brought back Starbucks from the outparcel next to the hospital, making sure to bring a cup for the protection detail stationed at Kate's door as well.

While he was gone, Lanie picked up the box to place the watch back in it. That's when she noticed the little warranty paper in the box. "Oh, my goodness, that man!"

"What?" Kate and Jim said at the same time.

She handed the paper to Jim, who read it and laughed heartily.

"What, Dad?"

"The model name of that particular Swatch is 'Lady of the Castle.' Very clever."

Kate smiled and rolled her eyes. "That's not surprising at all. Just don't tell Josh. He won't think it's so cute."

Rick came in with coffee for everybody. Kate took a sip and moaned, "Mmm. Heaven."

He started to grin but stopped short when she said, "But, really Rick," in a stern voice.

_Oh, crap, what did I do?_ he thought.

"Lady of the Castle? Seriously?" Her voice was teasing.

"Yep. So you think of me every time you check your watch." She rolled her eyes, just as he expected. He was glad she was still medicated and feeling too good to argue. He was also pretty sure she wasn't so medicated that she wouldn't remember the day's conversations. Win-win.

xox

As night fell over New York, Lanie announced that she would be staying the night and did not need any gentlemen sharing the room. Both protested, but finally acquiesced after Kate insisted. She liked them being there, but knew Alexis needed her father and wanted to talk with Lanie in private. Josh came in for a visit after Rick left - they were obviously avoiding each other. He really didn't appreciate it that Lanie didn't give them any privacy. Even after Josh asked her for some time alone with Kate, Lanie answered, "Oh, don't mind me, hun, I'll stay out of the way." She'd been supportive enough of their relationship in the past, but she was tired of keeping up the pretense.

Josh stayed for dinner, bringing egg drop soup from Kate's favorite Chinese restaurant. Liquid diets are difficult to enjoy, and he hoped this would make it more bearable. Kate thanked him and said it was sweet. A nurse who knew they were dating, Rebecca, stopped in on her rounds, checking on her patient. Rebecca asked them how they met.

Josh's face lit up like a Christmas tree; he loved this story. Lanie hadn't heard it before, so she'd figured it was something mundane like waiting in line for coffee together, and she watched Kate's face while Josh spoke. "Last summer, I was pulled into a trauma, where an innocent kid got shot. The shooter also got shot, by the cops. I had to run back and forth from Trauma 1 to Trauma 2, because both GSW's were chest wounds. We got them both stable, and went out to tell the families. Kate was out there carrying on three different conversations, one with the kid's family, one with the shooter's, and one with gang bangers who wanted revenge.

She was controlling the chaos, keeping everyone in line and in separate parts of the waiting room, and managing to keep it from turning into an all-out gang-war right there in the ER. I delivered the news to both families that their sons would indeed pull through. Kate here then informed the shooter's banger buddies that he was fine and there was no need for revenge on anyone. She talked them into leaving, after having a uniform get their names and addresses. The shooter's family was saying they should sue the cops for shooting him, and Kate convinced them that it would not be in their best interest to attack the NYPD for protecting the children playing, including the boy in Trauma 1, and the one that was dead by the time he hit the sidewalk.

She was amazing, but she was simmering under the surface. So once everyone was calm, she told an officer to cuff him to the bed as soon as he was out of the trauma room. She turned to me, and said, 'Call me if he says anything I should know about,' gives me her card, and walks out. Of course he didn't say anything worthwhile, but I still called a couple of days later. I asked her to coffee. She was too busy. I tried again a few weeks later; she'd just gotten a fresh homicide. I decided to try one last time, late September by then, and I thought she was going to turn me down again. But she didn't. I don't know why, really, but she decided to make the time. I'm so glad she did."

Josh and Rebecca were all smiles. Something good came out of something terrible. But Lanie could see that Kate's smile was forced. She knew how much that case impacted Kate. One kid dead, and another came close. A couple of other bangers had gotten hurt and had gone to another ER. Kate had them and as many other gang thugs as she could find that were in the shootout, and charged them all with conspiracy to commit murder and accessory to murder. Kate was a mess by the end of it, and when it was over, and she and Lanie had a girls' night, Kate admitted she wished Castle had been there for that case, just to lighten the mood and help her through it. That she missed him. That she messed up, and he was gone. He hadn't called, and she was sure that he wasn't coming back.

Lanie also knew what changed in late September that made Kate want to make time for a date with somebody. With anybody. Castle came back. And in his interrogation with Beckett, he'd said he was in a relationship, and that Kate knew with whom. Esposito had told her how Beckett's voice caught, and she sounded like she was barely holding it together after the interrogation when she told Castle to go home, back to the Hamptons, his ex-wife, and his book parties. When, the next day, the doctor called, she decided to go out with him. She didn't even tell Lanie about the date or who it was with afterward, just that it was "fine." Rebound. That's all this guy was supposed to be. Someone to take Kate's mind off of Castle and Gina. Lanie couldn't figure out why on earth he was still around.

Lanie tuned back into the present conversation when Josh asked her if she was staying with Kate tonight. Lanie wasn't above rubbing his nose in the fact that Castle had been there nonstop and he hadn't. "Yes, I am. I'm sure she could use some girl time. The fellas have been hogging her attention."

Josh agreed and tried not to let any animosity show towards the non-girl time Kate had every night previously.

He kissed Kate good night, saying, "I've got an early shift tomorrow. I need some shut-eye. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

Kate nodded and said, "Good night, Josh. Thank you for the soup."

Lanie watched the door shut. They sat in the quiet for a minute, until Lanie couldn't take it anymore. "Kate, I couldn't help but notice how much you didn't like his story about how you met. Like you were trying not to cringe through half of it. Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

What about "'Good night, I love you,' versus 'Good night, thanks for the soup'?"

Kate shook her head no.

"Okay. What did I tell you about bottling these things up?"

A few more minutes of silence passed. It wasn't awkward. They both had plenty to think about.

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Lanie asked.

Kate sat quietly for another half-minute before answering, "You told him about the note."

Lanie smiled, like when she got a really good poker hand, and tried to hide it, but her excitement still showed in her eyes and on the corners of her mouth.

"What exactly did you tell him?"

Lanie kept smiling. If she got intimidated, this would be an interrogation. She preferred girl-talk with Kate over interrogation by Beckett, and no one would blame her for that.

"I just told him that Royce told you to follow your heart, and not your fear. That you wouldn't want to end up wondering if only."

"And you didn't tell him that Mike was referring to me and Castle, you know, getting together?"

"No, but Castle's a smart man."

Kate reached in the bedside drawer and pulled out the watch.

"Kate, honey, he's right. It is time to move forward. It's time to start making new memories."

Kate flipped the watch over and read the inscription again. "No more 'if only'."

She looked scared and hopeful and worried and happy, all at once. She looked out at nothing and repeated, "No more 'if only'."

x

_Please leave me a review. I'm addicted to them. They're like pixie sticks for little kids._


	7. Chapter 7

x

_Previously: Lanie's staying the night with Kate, and heard Josh's version of how he and Kate met. Kate was uncomfortable with the story. The watch Castle gave Kate is a Swatch 'Lady of the Castle,' and its inscription is "No more 'if only'."_

x

"Lanie, how can Josh tell that story with a smile on his face? A kid died. Another one almost died. Because of a gang feud. A stupid one. It wasn't even over drug turf or anything. Just stupid young arrogance. Trying to manage those people in the waiting room… being compassionate for the kid's family and tough for the shooter's family and intimidating to the gang bangers… That day was hell, Lanie. And he had the nerve to hit on me then and there, in the waiting room. He left that out of his story."

"Then why are you still with him?"

She thought for a second. "Because it's easy. I know where I stand. I know what I want from him. He's sweet and does nice things like bring soup when I'm feeling bad."

"Riiiiiight. Easy. And how often do you actually let him know when you're feeling bad, and how often is he actually here when you need him? He said he loves you, but I'd bet money that he doesn't know enough about you to really know whether he loves you or not. And you don't love him. I mean, we all thought you'd already broken up with him. You don't even mention his name. You go across the country with Castle, and almost go for it with him there. Why are you so scared of leaving someone you don't love to be with someone you do love?"

"I never said I love Castle. Besides, it's not that simple."

"Kate, Sweetie, it is that simple. And you didn't have to say it. It's painfully obviously to everyone but you and him. Or maybe just to him - for all I know, you're very much aware that you love him, and you're just too chicken to act on it."

"You know you're sitting there insulting a woman who has just been shot in the chest, right?"

Lanie had been trying to keep it light-hearted, but that vanished. Her face and voice became tense.

"Girl, don't be like that. You weren't conscious. You didn't have to see what was going on. Castle and I were covered in your blood, watching you flatline. He and I stood there together, out of control, watching you go through those _damn doors_ with _no_ _heartbeat_, and believing that was _it_. It wasn't Josh there, with his soul crushed, it was Castle. You need to get that through your pretty head, Katherine. I told him about Royce's note while we waited, because we thought you wouldn't pull through. There was… Kate, there was _so much_ _blood_."

Tears ran down Lanie's face. "He needed to know. He deserved to know. I couldn't let him keep thinking he was alone; that you didn't care about him the way he cares for you. And if you keep pushing him away because you're too scared to let yourself be with someone who knows everything about you and is still crazy about you and makes you all mushy inside; then you're just a _coward_, Katherine Beckett."

She took a few breaths to compose herself before continuing, "And if you think you're doing Josh any favors by-"

A nurse came in asking, "Is everything okay? Your heart rate's through the roof."

Kate nodded yes. Lanie answered, "We were just talking."

The nurse saw the tears in both of their eyes, paused to decide if they were really okay, then said, "Well, tone it down a little. Keep it calm." Lanie nodded, and the nurse left.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I wasn't trying to upset you."

"I'm not doing Josh any favors by what?"

"Just let it go. You're not up for this right now. I don't want to upset you."

"Too late. I'm not doing Josh any favors by what, Lanie?"

"By stringing him along! By using him to keep your distance from Castle!"

"I'm _not_ using him!"

"The hell you aren't! You may really like him. He's a great guy and he's got a lot to offer. But we both know he's not the one you really want, so you need to quit playing around with him!"

"_Playing around_? Are you _friggin' kidding me_? Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"_Yes._ He says he loves you, and you say 'thanks for the soup;' _so yes_, you're playing him. You're using him. And you need to stop. "

Kate's mouth dropped open. Lanie had never said anything so brutal to her in their years of friendship. She couldn't handle it. She was too damned mad to even respond. She was taking deep breaths- well, as deep as she could - to try to keep calm, but she wasn't managing it very well.

"Lanie… get out."

"Make me." Lanie got up, laid on the couch, and opened up a magazine.

Kate laid there in her hospital bed, staring at her best friend who she hated at that moment, and actually considered pushing the nurse call button to have Lanie removed. The two women sat (or laid) in silence for a solid hour, until after the nurse came back by on her rounds.

The first sound was Kate crying quietly. Lanie was at her side in an instant, wiping the hair out of her face and rubbing her shoulders. "How am I supposed to break his heart? He stayed for me. He didn't go to Haiti. He's such a good man."

Lanie soothed her friend with a calming voice. "I know. He'll get over it. But he did eventually go on another trip. And he'll go again. So if you go ahead and end it, he'll have more time to find someone that loves his trips and will even go with him. But that's not you. It never was."

"I know."

Lanie sighed. _Finally,_ she thought.

x

_Please leave me a review. I'm addicted to them. They're addictive like Starbucks frappucinos._


	8. Chapter 8

_**8**_

_x_

_Previously: Lanie gave Kate a verbal smack-down, convincing her to dump Josh. Finally!_

_x_

Jim, Rick, and Lanie sat in the waiting room, knowing what was going down on the other side of that door. Rick didn't seem as excited as he should have been, in Lanie's opinion. He'd said that breaking up, even when you know it's the right thing to do, is still painful, and he knew it wasn't easy for Kate to do. His answer was completely honest, but that wasn't the only thing quelling his excitement. When he'd finally gotten home and read his mail, he'd discovered an unsettling post from Montgomery. And he had no idea what to do with it.

Rick had every intention of telling Kate that he loves her tonight, regardless of whether or not Josh was still around… but mulling over the contents of Montgomery's envelope, he wasn't so sure that he should. He was so preoccupied that he barely noticed Josh storming past for the last time. He came from his thoughts when he realized someone was saying his name.

"Rick? Are you going to go talk to her?" Jim asked.

"Not yet. You go. Make sure she's okay. Um… I'll come back later."

Jim waited a few minutes, thinking Kate would want some time alone, but probably didn't wait as long as she needed.

Lanie got a little nervous and stopped Castle. "You're not chickening out, are you?"

"What? Me? No. Just… I don't want to pressure her and make her think I expect her to be ready to be with me five minutes after leaving him. I'll be back later."

"Exactly how much later?" Lanie was done leaving this to the two of them. She had no problem playing a very forceful Cupid.

Rick chuckled. "I will come back for dinner. Is that okay with you? And are you kicking me out again tonight?"

Lanie smiled. "That will be okay. Bring ice cream. And it's probably time to let Kate start having some input in who stays with her."

x

Several friends were visiting at dinnertime, Ryan and Jenny and Alexis and Martha and another of Jim's church friends had stopped in during the evening, some staying longer than others. Lanie discreetly asked who she'd like to stay with her that night, and she answered, "My dad."

But Rick really didn't want to leave. Jim had been there all afternoon and, when he and Rick were the only ones left, Jim thought of something he just had to do right then. He asked Rick to stay for an hour or two while he took care of something important.

Rick had been holding Kate's hand constantly through the recovery, but now he wasn't sure where the boundaries were. He sat next to Kate's bed and hesitantly took her hand in his.

They'd already talked about her physical therapy and how much longer she'd be there and everything else they could think of while the visitors were there, which only left the elephant in the room.

"So… Josh is gone?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do I need to hire a bodyguard so he doesn't try to kill me?"

She looked up and saw the twinkle in his eye and the smile at the corner of his mouth. So he knew the breakup was about him.

"Maybe." She bit her lip and smiled back at him.

Kate patted her bed next to her, and Castle moved from the chair to her side.

"Rick, thank you for being here for me."

"Always."

She smiled. "I knew you'd say that."

"Has it become cliché already?"

"No. It's perfect, but only if you don't start using it for everything."

"Are you still afraid?" They both knew he was referring to the fight they'd had weeks before in her apartment, when he'd told her that she stayed with men she didn't love because she was afraid to be happy.

She nodded yes. "I know how much I have to lose."

Castle smiled. "I'll be here when you're ready." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Kate smiled. He'd spoken to her deepest fear and promised to be there, always. It scared the crap out of her - the idea that he might be wrong, that he was in as much danger as she was most of the time - but she decided to hold onto the peace his promise brought for tonight and let comfort wash over her.

She fell asleep with his arm draped over her stomach protectively and a smile on her lips.

When Jim returned, Rick kissed the side of her head, whispered, "I love you," and carefully extricated himself from her bed.

Quietly, Rick asked Jim, "So did you get your important thing taken care of?"

"That depends. Are you two good?"

Rick looked over at Kate, sleeping peacefully. "Yeah. We're good."

"Then I accomplished what I set out to do."

Rick laughed and shook his head. "Goodnight, Jim."

Jim grinned, "Goodnight, Rick. See you tomorrow."

_x_

_Please leave me a review. I'm addicted to them. They're addictive like Firefly. Mmm. Captain Mal. Yum._

_I know longer chapters would be better, but you seem to like frequent updates. So you get shorter chapters nearly evey day. Is that okay? Please review so I won't be so insecure about what I'm writing!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Previously: Josh got sent packin'! Lanie & Jim are doing their best to get Kate to give in to the love that is Caskett. Rick's a little nervous about pushing her, though._

_x_

Kate was sore and in a foul mood. Everything hurt. She was trying to prove that she was ready to get out of this damned place, and kept pushing herself to mend faster. On many levels, that was a good thing. Driven people do usually heal faster. However, they hurt more, and can set themselves back with over exertion. That's where she was right then. On top of the pain, she had to suffer the "I told you so" attitude of the physical therapist. The therapist was excellent at her job but could see that Kate wouldn't listen to anybody without having to learn the hard way that she _needed_ to listen. Kevin Ryan sat on the couch listening to Beckett rant about what a witch the therapist was; snotty, bossy, self-righteous, arrogant, stupid, know-it-all therapist. Ryan worked hard at schooling his features so Beckett couldn't see him laughing at her on the inside.

"I feel for you, Beckett, I really do. I got shot once, when I was in Vice. It was in the thigh, so I had to re-learn walking. The rehab… it didn't tickle." She rolled her eyes. He was serious, but it was just funny to him how stubborn Kate Beckett really was, demanding her way regardless of damage she could be inflicting on herself. The story of her life. He had to look at as funny, otherwise it was just plain sad. And she didn't need pity right then.

"You're being such a baby. Damn, Beckett. You're acting like letting someone help you get better is the end of the world. Quit whining. It's okay to hurt. It's okay to let other people help you. Besides, if you keep messing up your rehab, you'll have to stay here longer, and then I'll lose a wad of cash."

"What? Seriously? You're betting on when I get out of here? God, you're awful!"

The laugh lines began to crinkle around his eyes then his mouth couldn't continue withholding the grin.

She realized he was playing her and threw a pillow at him. "Doofus."

"Doofus? That's the best you got? You must be hurting. You're off your game today."

She appreciated him not cutting her any slack and finally smiled.

He laughed and acted like he was going to bean her with the pillow, so she called out happily, "Whoa! Stitches healing over here! You can't hit me back!"

Rick walked in, smiling since he could hear the exchange from the hallway. He grabbed a croissant and an apple from the basket left by one of Jim's friends, kissed the side of Kate's head and resumed his spot next to her bed. He offered her the croissant, since she could (thankfully) eat solid food again. She looked thoroughly shocked by his gesture of affection, and Ryan had to choke down a laugh. Both men continued on as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

"How was PT? Fun?" Rick asked, grinning and knowing the answer.

"Barrel of monkeys. Smartass."

Ryan watched the exchange with an amused smirk. "I told her it was supposed to tickle. She's being a baby. She hit me with a pillow and said I couldn't make bets on her recovery," he whined.

"Tattle tale." She was having to make an effort to not laugh.

Ryan got up to go, slapping Castle on the shoulder. "See ya later, bro. Beckett, take it easy. Follow the therapist's directions. Seriously."

"Yeah, yeah. See ya later, Kevin."

Rick studied her. "You must be feeling better. You just called Ryan by his first name."

"I'm just ready to get out of here. Only a couple more days until they're sure the internal stitches are healing well enough for me to go. Once the stitches on the outside come out, I can put my necklace back on. I tried to wear it already, but it kept bumping against the stitches. I feel naked without it." She'd been back into real clothes for several days, since she became ambulatory again and could manage the buttons on a shirt so the doctors and nurses could check how she was healing.

Rick glanced down at his lap. He really didn't want her to put that back on, that reminder to guard her heart.

"Rick… what are you thinking?" He looked uneasy, and it made her nervous.

"It's nothing." He perked back up. "I brought you something."

He pulled out an advance copy of Heat Rises. "You get to be the first to read it. Well, after me, the editor, and typesetter. Patterson, Cussler, King, and Connelly all get their copies tomorrow. I'm not sure which of them will actually write a review. They'll probably only pick one to go in the front of the book, but they'll all get published somewhere."

"Wow. Thank you. But Stephen King and Clive Cussler? They aren't your usual go-to guys."

"True, but they're both great and have huge fan bases. Never hurts to broaden the fan base. I think Paula might have sent a copy to Grisham, too. I bet it would be fun to take a road trip to Memphis and play cards with him! You game?" He embellished what a trip with him would entail: a riverboat dinner cruise, touring Graceland, visiting the Rock & Soul Museum.

She admitted it sounded fun, but when he pressed her about actually doing it, she rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, right." He tried to not look disappointed, and she tried to not show how much she wanted to say yes.

They chatted well into the evening, laughing and avoiding any topic of consequence (including that confusing kiss to the side of the head), ending up with him sitting close at her side again, with her falling asleep on his shoulder. Once again, he mumbled, "I love you, Kate," into her hair.

She did her best not to flinch. Kate knew that Rick thought she was already asleep. She wondered how many times he'd said that already that she didn't hear or couldn't remember. It took a while to slow her reeling mind back down, but she finally smiled, snuggled closer to him, and slept comfortably against his warm body.

_x_

_Please leave me a review. I'm addicted to them. They're addictive like doing mission work._


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

x

_Previously: No more Josh; Ryan told Kate to let others help her; Kate can't wear hear mom's ring on the necklace because it bumps the stitches; Rick kissed the side of her head and acted like it was a totally normal thing to do; she heard him say ILY when he thought she was asleep._

x

She woke when the sunlight streamed through the window and warmed her face. She didn't open her eyes; just breathed in the familiar scent of the man next to her. She was as wrapped around him as the IV would allow her to be, and she just wanted to be closer. She cracked open her eyes to find him looking down at her. She smiled meekly and nuzzled back against his chest. She tried hard not to panic, knowing that her response to waking up like this just might be a defining moment in their relationship. Unless she ignored it like so many other moments that could have been turning points.

She felt his fingertips softly stroke her cheek then her upper arm. She ran her fingers lazily on his chest. They laid in silence, holding each other. For that hour, there was no one wanting her dead, no unsolved murder weighing on their minds, no envelopes with unsettling information, no daughters concerned for their father's well being. There was just Rick and Kate, in each other's arms, slowly caressing each other and taking comfort in soft touches. And, for that hour, everything was right with the world.

x

When the doctors finally released Kate to go home, with plenty of restrictions and a 24/7 caretaker, she felt like she was being released from prison. But after just a couple of days, she felt like she was under house arrest.

Rick panicked when he couldn't find her, then panicked more when he found a note, "On the roof." The service elevator in the building actually did go to the roof, so he took some solace in the fact she probably hadn't climbed any stairs. But on the roof meant she was out in the open, and they didn't know if there was a killer itching for a chance at another shot.

The elevator doors opened to the sound of a melancholy ballad being played on the guitar. He couldn't see her, though. She was nestled among the air conditioning units. He breathed a sigh of relief that she was making an effort to conceal herself and took a minute to listen.

Rick had seen her guitar in the apartment, but she'd refused to play it in front of anyone, saying her music was just for her. But, alone on the rooftop, she played and sang. He could just barely make out the words to her sad song:

_Take my love, take my land,_  
><em>Take me where I cannot stand.<em>  
><em>I don't care, I'm still free.<em>  
><em>You can't take the sky from me.<em>  
><em>Take me out to the black,<em>  
><em>Tell them I ain't comin' back.<em>  
><em>Burn the land and boil the sea,<em>  
><em>You can't take the sky from me.<em>  
><em>There's no place I can be<em>  
><em>Since I found Serenity,<em>  
><em>But you can't take the sky from me.<em>

Hers was a heartbreaking melody, and he waited a long time until she was just picking random chords, playing around with no particular song in mind.

He approached loudly so that he didn't startle her and found her leaning back against the sloped side of a skylight looking at the clouds.

"Hey. Been up here long?" he asked.

"A while. I thought you'd come up sooner. Since I'm supposed to have a 24/7 babysitter." Her words conveyed irritation, but her voice was relaxed. Playing guitar to the sky seemed to have helped.

Rick just shrugged. "I did. But I didn't want to interrupt. May I?" He gestured to the spot next to her, and she nodded.

They sat quietly for a while, shoulders touching. She picked a little on the guitar, but didn't play anything for him.

"Your dad's coming for dinner," he ventured.

" 'Kay."

Several more minutes of silence.

"Stitches coming out tomorrow?"

"Yep."

She sat the guitar down at her side and leaned against him more. They hadn't talked about that perfect hour waking up together, and it hadn't happened again in the week since. He had an ache in his chest that said it was another thing on the list of intimate moments they ignored.

He was wondering what she'd do if he just leaned over and kissed her tenderly right then… when she shifted away from him. She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knee.

"How long am I supposed to I hide, Rick? When do I get my life back?"

He rubbed her back soothingly. "I don't know, Kate. I don't know. We're doing everything we can to catch the bastard."

She was angry that no one would tell her what was happening in the investigation. Yet, her voice sounded sad. "Why won't you tell me what's going on?"

"You'll get your life back. I promise."

"You can't promise that."

He gave her shoulder a gentle pull, and she followed, leaning back against him.

"I'll do everything I can. We keep moving forward. Whatever happens, we'll be okay."

She thought, _You can't promise that, either. I really wish you could_. She stretched out her legs in front of her, crossing them so that her top foot touched his. She rested her head against his chest, felt his arm wrap around her, and absently toyed with the buttons on his shirt.

Kate closed her eyes and whispered, "I really liked waking up like this the other day."

He sighed and smiled against her hair. "Me too."

He entwined his fingers with hers, noticing the fading bruise from the IV on the back of her hand, just an inch below the watch he'd given her. As soon as the IV came out, she'd put the watch on, giving Rick a silent look of gratitude.

x

It was that look of gratitude that made him certain, well, certain enough, that she'd be able to accept what he had planned with Jim for that night. He'd come up with an idea, and Jim helped flesh it out. Jim also brought along some items from home and readied the surprise while Kate "helped" Rick make dinner.

From the back of the apartment, Jim could overhear the conversation of Kate saying she wasn't an invalid while Rick tried to get her to at least sit on a barstool while she sliced the French bread. He worked quickly, taking the ring from her jewelry box and setting it up as Rick had planned.

x

They sat in the small dining room sharing dinner. Kate's despondent attitude was slowly subsiding with Rick and Jim's jovial conversation. Jim was telling stories of Kate's childhood and Rick was countering with stories of his own. They were both very intentionally bringing up stories that were funny and humiliating.

Kate finally cracked with an embarrassed laugh when her father said, "And you should have seen the _fervor_ with which this child argued the superiority of Vanilla Ice over MC Hammer. Jo antagonized her, arguing the opposite, just to make Katie come up with a rational argument… and she did. On paper! She wrote an actual one page essay of facts proving her claim!" Kate covered her face, laughing at the ridiculousness of that seventh-grade effort. Raucous laughter poured from the two men.

"Please, Rick," she said from behind her hands, "Please tell me you've got something dumber than that."

"I had to write a 'when I grow up' kind of essay when I was a kid. Monkey trainer for the circus. I had a pretty convincing list of reasons why that would be a good profession. My teacher said it just might be my calling. At the time, I thought that was a compliment." They all laughed at that admission. "What makes it worse is that I was 14 when I wrote it!" Kate laughed so hard, she snorted, making them all laugh even harder.

Finally, with all three of them still grinning like idiots, Jim caught Rick's eye, shrugging a question. Rick nodded in response. It was weird for Kate to see Rick having a silent conversation with someone else, but with as much time as the two men had spent together recently, she wasn't surprised. Rick stepped away from the table, leaving her alone with her father.

"Katiebear, what time is it?" She smelled a set-up.

"8:45. Why?"

"You like your new watch?"

"I do." Her response was tentative.

"What did he say when he gave it to you?" Jim smiled warmly.

" 'It's time to make new memories.' "

"And what does the inscription say?"

Kate couldn't help but smile. "No more 'if only'."

"We've got something for you. Actually, Rick did something for both of us. I hope you like it."

Rick came back holding two ornate pewter picture frames. "I had this one made for your father. But we wanted you to see it, too." It held a wedding photo of Jim and Johanna, young and deliriously happy. Made into the frame were two tiny rings at the top, holding a delicate chain. On the chain hung their wedding rings, just below the middle of the photograph, encircling the image of their linked hands.

"And this one is for you." He placed a frame identical to the first on the table in front of her. In it was a photo of Jim, Johanna, and seven-year-old Kate at the park, laughing without restraint. On the chain was Johanna's engagement ring.

Kate gasped and a V-shaped crinkle appeared between her eyebrows.

"Alexis helped me design the frames. We know a guy who does custom jewelry, and he put the chains on the frames. She was worried that you'd feel naked without your mother's ring around your neck, as you said last week, so she got you a little something."

Kate was too choked up to respond. He placed a small velvet box in front of her, along with a small piece of parchment rolled up and tied with a green ribbon.

Kate slid the paper out if the ribbon and read Alexis's handwritten note.

_Dear Kate,_

_I hope you like how we framed a joyful memory from your past. Please accept this as hope for more joyful memories to come._

_Love, Alexis_

Kate took a deep breath and opened the box. It was a sterling silver castle-shaped charm.

x

x

_Seems like a good place to stop. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how Kate reacts._

_Please leave me a review. They're addictive like good sex. Well, not nearly that addictive; but still, write me one!** ;)**_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I'm not going to cover the investigation at all. However, I HIGHLY recommend cdixon's "Changes" for that. It's awesome, and has Rick all stressed about it and taking his frustrations out in the gym. So he develops an incredibly buff bod. As if anything could make Nathan Fillion yummier. Two thumbs up!_

_You Fillionacs recognized Kate's song, right? I thought the words were perfect for what I thought Kate was feeling._

_x_

_**Previously:** Kate's at home, and snuck off to the roof to play guitar. Rick tried to comfort her there. Jim & Rick shared funny stories at dinner, then gave Kate a framed photo of her as a child with her parents. The frame had her mother's ring attached on a chain. Alexis also gave Kate a gift with a note about making new happy memories._

_x_

Kate took a deep breath and opened the box. It was a sterling silver castle-shaped charm.

She picked up the delicate charm, studied it, then sat it back in the box on the table. Her expression was blank. She bit the inside of her cheek. Then she stood up and went to her room without a word.

Castle breathed out a four-letter word and hung his head. She was supposed to smile. Or cry. Or something. He didn't know what to do. He looked to Jim for help.

Jim blew out a heavy breath then pursed his lips, thinking. Then he looked to Rick and said, "Give her a few minutes. Then go talk to her. Maybe she's not angry, just overwhelmed."

Rick nodded. He drank his tea and tapped his foot, wondering if it had been long enough.

When he couldn't wait anymore, he asked, "Now?"

Jim nodded yes.

Her bedroom door was open. She was pacing, biting her thumbnail; but stopped when she saw Rick in the doorway.

"Are you okay?" She didn't look mad, but frustrated like when there was a case she couldn't figure out. When she met his eyes, he could see the hurt and confusion in hers.

He reached her in a couple of long strides and gathered her in a strong embrace. She buried her forehead against his neck and clung to him.

He felt her breathing become deep and shaky, trying to hold back sobs. He kept holding her. He'd stand there holding her all night if she needed him to.

"Am I just supposed to let her go? Forget her?" she murmured against his shirt.

"No... no… of course not. You're supposed to remember all the good things about her. And the ring is right there with a beautiful picture, if you need a touchstone."

"But… but… what if I forget?"

He held her tighter. "You won't. There's no way that'll happen. She's part of you. And she'd want you to let yourself be happy."

She didn't relax.

He stroked her hair.

"Kate, who was your best friend in first grade?"

"What? Why?" She loosened her hold on him just enough to look into his eyes.

"Humor me."

"Melanie Johnston."

"What did she look like?

"Brown hair and eyes. Olive skin. People always asked if we were sisters. We'd say yes."

"What was her favorite toy?"

"Care Bears. She had every single one."

"And how would she irritate you?"

"Her parents always bought an extra season pass to the Yankees, and I'd get jealous if she took a different friend with her. I didn't even understand the game, yet. I just liked cheering for Mattingly."

"And what-"

"Are you going to make a point sometime, Rick?"

"Yes. Tell me how many times you've spoken with Melanie Johnston since middle school."

Kate thought for a few minutes. "Maybe three times."

"And yet you remember your friend from first grade, all about her, down to her skin tone and what made you jealous. And there are plenty more details you remember, too, right?"

She nodded, understanding the purpose behind his questions.

"You're not going to forget your mother, Kate. There's too much there. She wouldn't want you doing this to yourself, would she?"

She shook her head. "Don't mess up my pity party with your logic." It was a weak attempt at humor, but it was enough.

He placed a kiss to the crown of her head and tightened his arms around her again. He felt her blow out a few deep breaths.

She focused in his warmth and on the logic of his words while pushing the confusion of these increasingly regular head-kisses to the back of her mind. "Thank you, Rick."

He took her hand and led her back into the kitchen where they found her father washing dishes.

"Everything okay?" Jim asked.

"I think so." Rick hoped so.

"Everything's okay," Kate told them.

She took her two gifts and took them to her bedroom. She placed the frame on her dresser and the charm in her jewelry box on the nightstand.

She had no doubt that, at that moment, her dad was questioning Rick on if he thought she was really okay. She wasn't sure. She touched her mother's ring, appreciating the way it looked like it was simply on a necklace draped over the frame. It hadn't been taken from her. It was right there.

She touched the spot on her chest where the stitches began. Where the ring was supposed to be, not an angry puffed red line where she had been sewn back together. She let herself imagine what her loved ones had gone through that day. She could only imagine how she would feel if Castle had been the one who took the bullet and it had been _her_ and Lanie standing in the hallway soaked in _his_ blood. If Martha and Alexis had been the ones grieving for him, not knowing if he would make it.

She unrolled Alexis's note. Who was she kidding? They were invested in her life as well. It was no wonder Alexis seemed to waiver between thankful that Kate was okay and worried about what was to come. The poor girl didn't know whether to support her father's choice to be here, or to tell him to cut his losses and end the partnership. Alexis had never said anything like that, of course, but Kate had gotten that vibe. There was apparently a contract out on the life of the person her daddy spent most of his time with, painting a bull's eye on him as well.

Especially since was involved in the investigation and Kate was out of the loop… did that make Castle more of a target now than she was? She had the same concerns Alexis seemed to have.

And, yet, the young lady had bought her a charm for her necklace. To take the place of her mother's ring, at least physically. And it was shaped like a castle. If it had been from Rick, she would have thought it presumptuous and arrogant. If it had been from Lanie or Jim, she would have resisted (or openly rebelled against) the obvious attempt to push her and Castle together. But it was from a terrified teenage girl who apparently wanted Kate to make happy memories with the Castles and wanted the Castles to have that spot near her heart that offered comfort and reassurance.

And that was scary as hell. And absolutely wonderful. And, wow, she was in so deep with their family, she didn't want out. She just wanted more.

Her face broke into a relieved and hopeful grin.

She went to hug and thank her father, giving him an innocent kiss on the cheek. Then she did the same with Rick; but the kiss was much closer to his lips, and the look in her eye much less innocent but every bit as adoring.

x

_Please review! They're addictive like Samoas and Thin Mints!_

_(Even though I don't buy them from the Girl Scouts - I make homemade.)_

_That's all the sadness & angst I can handle writing. It was difficult. Ready for some warm fuzzies?_


	12. Chapter 12

_Previously: Jim & Rick's plan to keep Kate from wearing the ring again was successful. Alexis gave Kate a castle-shaped necklace charm to wear instead. Kate took a while to wrap her head around it, but she realized that a future with the Castles might really be what she wants._

Her face broke into a relieved and hopeful grin.

She went to hug and thank her father, giving him an innocent kiss on the cheek. Then she did the same with Rick; but the kiss was much closer to his lips, and the look in her eye much less innocent but every bit as adoring.

Was she really willing to try this? She fell asleep that night wondering if it would be too forward to ask Rick to sleep next to her. Just sleep. So that she could wake up next to him like she had the week before, but without the IV stopping her from snuggling him as closely as she wanted. She really did want that, didn't she?

A voice in her head sounding remarkably like Lanie said that's what she'd always wanted. She wouldn't ask him, of course, but knowing he was sleeping on her couch in her apartment made her smile. Knowing that, if she wanted anything - or wanted him- all she had to do was call out his name. She almost called out. Several times. But she was sure it would happen soon enough - the two of them becoming a "them." They couldn't not; she'd heard him say "I love you" and wanted to hear it again. So she fell asleep with a smile on her lips and his image on her mind. It made for very pleasant dreams.

Castle wasn't so fortunate. The same knowledge that was enough for her and put a smile on her sleeping face… it tormented him. He ached to walk in there and remind himself that she really was alive. That she would get her stitches out in the morning. That she really had accepted his "Lady of the Castle" watch and his daughter's castle charm. He longed to touch her, to hold her, to feel her warmth and her breath and her softness. To whisper into her hair again that he loved her. It was becoming a regular act, and he knew that, at some point, he'd have to say it when she could hear him.

She was just at the end of the hall. He'd kissed the side or top of her head tenderly five different times in the past week. She didn't say anything about it, just accepted that that was how he was acting. She must have thought he was just affirming she was alive or that she had okayed it while she was on morphine or something like that. She almost seemed to like that he was doing it.

_She's just at the end of the hall._ He couldn't stop thinking that. _She didn't even shut her door_. He could check on her. Murmur into her hair. Kiss her cheek. He stayed firmly planted on the couch. Because the idea of kissing her in her sleep was affecting him - mind and body - so much that he knew he wouldn't stop with just mumbling I love you and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek with a tender caress. She would definitely wake up. She would definitely hear him say it. She would definitely be kissed beyond any thought or reason.

But there was still a rather large bandage on her chest. He couldn't do any of that tonight. He pulled out his phone and downloaded a book. He didn't get off the couch until the need to pee overwhelmed the other need that his earlier thoughts had created.

Finally he slept.

Rick woke to the smell of coffee brewing. It was morning, but he had only slept three hours. He slept so hard, it seemed like only minutes had passed.

He heard the shower running and swallowed hard, envisioning what was on the other side of that bathroom door. That door that wasn't completely closed. He could see steam coming out of the half-inch crack. That cruel woman. She had to know what she was doing to him. That cruel, gorgeous, extraordinary woman. Was she being a tease on purpose? There was one way to find out.

He opened the door a few inches. He didn't look in, just said, "Mornin', Kate. Sleep well?"

There was no indication of surprise. The answer came smoothly. "Mornin', Rick. Slept great. Is the coffee ready?" There was humor in her voice.

That smirk that always showed when he wanted to get into trouble spread across his lips, happiness crinkling his eyes.

"Almost. Need any help in there?"

"Not this time. Too bad, though. It took a lot of stretching... and was very slow work… to get everything soaped up. If you'd been up earlier… maybe you could have helped."

She had no idea how "up" he'd been earlier.

"You're evil."

She laughed heartily. It was actually difficult to bathe without irritating her stitches. It was especially hard to wash her hair and not get shampoo on them. Knowing this was the last difficult shower made her happy. Happy enough to tease the hell out of Castle. Especially after what her dreams had been all night. And if he got the nerve to take it beyond teasing, she was pretty sure she was okay with that.

He had both of their coffees ready when she came out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam and a terrycloth towel.

"Evil. Just plain evil!"

She laughed again and swayed her hips a little extra as she stepped into her bedroom and closed the door. Mostly closed the door.

_Damn that evil woman. What the hell has gotten into her?_

His shower was ice cold and very quick.

xox

They went to the doctor where everything was checked and tested. The stitches came out cleanly. She said it felt like she was having a tracking anklet removed, and she was free. She'd been wearing a smile all morning because of that feeling and the things it made her want to do.

The doctor said the scar should heal straight and smooth, fading over months. Kate was declared well and whole.

She still needed physical therapy to make her body strong again, and psychological therapy to make sure she dealt with everything in a healthy way. But, just to look at her, she was all better. After the doctor's assessment, her only question was, "When can I go back to work?"

"That's up to your boss and the therapists." Kate thought that answer was a cop-out. She thought of another question.

"When can I do lots of _physical_ activity?" From the corner of her eye, she saw Rick's mouth drop open just a little and him gawk at her. She smiled mischievously. "I mean, I usually ran 3 to 5 miles a day."

_Evil woman._

"Well, you'll have to work back up to that. Your physical therapist can help with those kinds of questions." He looked from Kate to Rick and back, the unasked question on both of their faces. "From running to sex, the basic advice is, if it hurts, don't do it. But I wouldn't do either without the PT's okay, and you might want the shrink's input about the sex. Go easy on her, big guy." That last part was directed at Rick.

Rick looked down and smirked. Kate blushed bright red.

"Uh, we're not..." It was Rick, not Kate, doing the denying.

"Mmm hmm." The doctor cut him off.

The doctor, who had witnessed Josh and Rick's altercation weeks before, and had treated Kate from the time she came out of surgery, knew that the relationship in front of him was in its infancy. But in his job, you took laughs where you could get them. He chuckled at the couple's embarrassment (oddly proud that he had intentionally caused it) and left them alone to wait for a nurse to bring prescriptions and forms.

_x_

_Please review! I'm addicted to them. They're addictive like the smart-aleck thrill of embarrassing your friends by having the wait staff sing Happy Birthday in a crowded restaurant._


	13. Chapter 13

_**Previously:**__ Castle was Kate's "babysitter" of the night, which made her happy & him horny; which she made worse by tempting him the next morning. (She was __ű__ber excited to be getting her stitches out.) The doc even called them out on the obvious UST._

x

This was totally not cool. It actually sucked. Kate knew that her friends were taking turns staying with her. But she expected it to end once the stitches came out and the doctor deemed her healthy. So the morning's teasing was supposed to lead in to something tonight. Yet, here was Lanie, at her door, telling Rick it was her night, and to go home to spend time with his daughter. He tried to argue. When Kate walked in the room and realized what was happening, she tried to argue.

But _Doctor_ Parrish was not going anywhere. It was her night, damnit, and she was going to have to be sure for herself that Kate was okay before officially ending the babysitting rotation.

"You suck, Lanie."

"Do I? Apparently Writer Boy thinks so too, judging from the look he gave me on the way out. I take it I interrupted something?"

"_You_ should be a _detective_." Kate's words dripped with sarcasm.

Lanie chose to laugh instead of take offense.

"Allrighty, lemme see that stitch-free chest. Then you've got to dish about what I interrupted."

_Uh… what?_

"Come on. It's not like I've never seen you changing clothes."

All the sudden, Kate was feeling self-conscious. There was a big nasty scar marring her body. What the hell was she thinking, wanting something to happen with Castle tonight? She didn't want him to see that! She wanted to be beautiful for him! Oh, thank goodness Lanie showed up. Oh yeah, Lanie.

"What planet were you just on?" Lanie asked when Kate's focus returned to her.

"It's just… the scar."

Lanie had never heard Kate sound so insecure.

"Yeah, Sweetie. The scar. Can I see how it's healing?"

Kate unbuttoned her blouse for Lanie's inspection. Lanie was fully aware of Kate's worried expression and said, "It looks good, Kate. It'll heal straight and smooth. This was exceptional suture work."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. But there is one thing that looks different."

Kate panicked. What could be so different? Did it make her boobs lopsided or something?

"What? What's different?"

"This." Lanie lifted Kate's necklace with one finger, the castle charm tapping against her fingernail. "This is definitely not the same piece of jewelry that was here before."

Kate smiled sheepishly. She buttoned the shirt back, watching the scar disappear behind the white cotton. Lanie watched Kate's smile give way to worry. Then Kate absently clenched the fabric, subconsciously trying to make the scar even more hidden.

"Kate. Spill."

Over burritos and ice cream, Kate told Lanie _everything_ from falling asleep on Rick the week before, hearing him say I love you after he thought she was asleep (Lanie squealed) all the way to teasing him mercilessly that morning (Lanie squealed again). She showed her the picture frame (Lanie gushed) and the note from Alexis (Lanie got misty-eyed). Recounting everything to Lanie did wonders to lift Kate's spirits.

"So you were planning on moving the island tonight, weren't you?"

"Huh?" Kate was confused.

Lanie rolled her eyes. "Don't you watch TV?" Kate shrugged. "On LOST, when they changed everything, they used some magnetic device to actually move the island."

"Yeah… still not following."

"Ugh. It just means you were planning to totally change the dynamic between you two."

"Oh. Apparently, me getting shot managed to do that for us." Kate was half-smiling about how she'd like to move his island. If that was a correct use of the stupid phrase.

"I'd say so. You two were going so damn slow, it was bordering on ridiculous."

"Can we go for a walk? I'm dying to get outside."

Lanie just looked at her.

"Sorry, bad choice of words. But, seriously, I'm going a little stir-crazy. It's dark. No snipers. Please? Just a short walk. Have mercy on me." She didn't mention that Rick had taken her to the mall to eat lunch in the food court and walk around and just be amongst people. She normally hated the mall, but it had been a nice diversion. She even bought some new walking shoes.

"_Come on, Castle. I _need_ some walking shoes. Since I won't be running for a while. I'll have to build up to that, remember?"_

"_But I _hate_ shoe shopping. Are walking shoes _really_ different from running shoes?"_

"_Quit whining, Castle. I'll be quick."_

"_But, Kate. If you get walking shoes, won't that make you comfortable with where you are now, instead of getting you to try to be able to run?"_

_Actually, he had a point. But she liked shoe shopping._

_He continued, "But, wouldn't it provide more incentive for you to recuperate if we went into Victoria's Secret instead? There's a good goal to work toward."_

_How did he manage to whine and be seductive at the same time?_

_She stepped up so close to him that he could smell her shampoo, arched an eyebrow, and said in a low, sultry voice, "I tell you what, Rick, if you take me shopping for walking shoes for me to use now… I promise to work _extra hard_ toward running again." He was watching her lips as she spoke, noticing how breathy she made "extra hard" sound, so it took him an extra beat to register what she said. _

"_Wait, that's it?"_

_She fought to not laugh at him. "You haven't seen what I have in my dresser. I don't need to go in Victoria's Secret to _stimulate_ those kinds of goals."_

_He gulped and followed her happily into the shoe store._

"Fine. We'll walk around the block. And you're bringing mace, not your gun. You haven't been cleared to carry yet."

xox

Castle received a text from Lanie late that night. "Nice work w/ the ring & castle charm."

He couldn't sleep, even though he was exhausted, because he couldn't _her_ out of his head. Not that he'd wanted to. She'd been incredibly tantalizing all day long. So he was writing a love scene for Nikki and Jamie. In the first two books, he thought of them as Nikki and Rook, but art followed life, and in the third book, the characters had become more intimate. In book four, they weren't just sex scenes anymore, and Jameson Rook _loved_ the way Nikki Heat said his first name.

When his phone chimed, he quickly fired back a response. "Thanks. She freaked at first."

His phone chimed again. "I bet. Imagine my surprise. No ring on the necklace. Castle instead."

"She's wearing it already?" He didn't expect that.

"My bad. Guess she wanted to surprise you."

_Wow. Just… um… wow. She's wearing it. She's got a castle against her skin, over her heart._

That thought turned into a visual image that stole his concentration away from his writing. Concentration he'd been working hard to keep so that he wasn't thinking about her skin… his little Castle touching it (not that he'd _ever_ call it little)… and on and on until he couldn't handle it and went to bed.

A half-hour later, his phone chimed again. "Are you up?"

"Yes. Very up. It's all your fault."

Kate smiled at his double entendre. How did their banter get this loaded? If his kisses to her head were supposed to be conditioning her to accept a more physical relationship, it seemed to be working. But she was pretty sure that didn't freak her out only because she knew he loved her.

Her phone chimed. "Why are you awake?"

Why was she awake? She was exhausted. Between the mall and the short walk with Lanie, today had been the most physically demanding day since she got home. She answered, "Can't stop thinking."

"Thinking of me? Because I'm thinking of you." He hesitated before he hit send. But the sleep deprivation had denied him the little filter that he normally had.

"Yeah, well, don't do anything gross while thinking of me." Why did she just send that? Men do gross things when they're "up" but all alone. Everyone knows that.

"Would you rather me look at porn?" He couldn't believe they were having this conversation. Neither one of their filters were operational.

"Hell no. Just go to sleep." She didn't want him looking at anyone else. Especially anyone with a perfect, unscarred body. Knowing the girls in those pictures are emotionally scarred doesn't tend to enter men's fantasies. Time to shut this exchange down before she got angry.

"All right. I shall dream of you, Love." Weeeee! He just called her "Love"! She grinned and sighed, and the previous conversation was gone from her mind.

"In that case, sweet dreams, Rick." She couldn't have him actually knowing what a giddy schoolgirl he made her feel like. People always seemed to think she was cold and closed off, but really she was a softie, who simply tended to turn away before they could see her smile or blush. She didn't like people to know what pushed her buttons, even if they were good buttons. Maybe it was time to change that habit, just with him.

They did both finally fall asleep smiling, with thoughts of the other on their minds.

x

_Please review! They're addictive like reading fanfic when I should be sleeping!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N:**__ Two weeks, MelTheorist, two weeks. Your request for this fanfic has kept me from working on my novel for two weeks. I didn't think I could squeeze more than 5 chapters out of this subject, but now I'm at 14. I hope it's been worth it for you readers! And since some of you wanted to know, the recipe for homemade samoas (aka caramel delites) is at instructables dot com, search for "Homemade-Samoas-Recipe." I make them as bar cookies and don't waste the time shaping them into circles. The Girl Scout troops only get to keep a tiny amount of the cookie money, so everyone's better off with you making your own & just giving them a cash donation.(Yes, I am talking from the experience of being Troop Leader. But now we're in American Heritage Girls, and love it so much more!)_

_x_

_**Previously**__: Kate's wearing the castle charm and watch, but has gotten really self-conscious about her scar. She's been teasing Rick, but also doesn't want him to see her damaged body. But they fell asleep texting each other like a real couple._

After an outburst of frustration and self pity, which would have been called "pitching a fit" if she were a toddler, Kate Beckett regained some freedom. She refused to live in hiding. She wanted to take a walk in the park. She wanted to go back to work. She wanted to go on a real date. She wanted someone to tell her what in the hell was going on in the investigation. And that was what actually started her hissy fit.

Everything had been going so well. Rick had actually been allowed to accompany Kate onto the roof to play guitar to the sky again. They were side by side against the hazy skylight, with him turned on his side toward her. She was playing an Allman Brothers song, he was staring like he loved to do, and he felt the need to touch her.

He reached out and ran his finger down her arm. Her strumming rhythm faltered. She smiled and watched him studying the goose bumps that appeared on her arm. She was attempting to continue playing as though he wasn't affecting her. But her heartbeat was much faster than the song, and his finger slowly ran up her other arm, then ghosted up her neck, then into her hair, twirling it. He was staring at the hair loosely wrapped around his finger like it was a coveted treasure, and he didn't seem to notice that her hands had stopped playing the guitar. He touched her face, and her hair fell from his finger. He caressed her jawline, still with a single digit, then reverently watched his finger trail across her bottom lip, seemingly with a mind of its own. It was joined by the rest of his hand as it softly stroked her cheek. He finally lifted his eyes from where they had been following his hand to look into her eyes.

Despite all of their silent conversations, he had never seen this look before. He'd thought he'd seen glimpses of it, but she always looked away before he could be sure. But right then he knew she was just as helpless in this as he was, just as scared, just as fragile, just as completely in love.

He took the guitar and slid it into the gravel on the opposite side of her, reaching over her, causing the gap between them to become only a breath. As he let go of the guitar's neck and leaned in even closer, the glint of sunshine on one of the guitar's tuning keys flooded his mind with unwelcome memories.

Memories of blood and a beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Thoughts of the envelope and the investigation.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, noticing the change on his face, letting her lips move over the worry lines on his forehead.

He relished the feeling of her touch. "We're so close…" It pained him to say it.

"We are." Why does that worry him?

"We just can't nail him." Huh? She pulled back. Had he said, "I've been thinking…" she would have expected the abrupt change from romance to case.

She took a few deep breaths in confusion, then, "Rick? What are you not telling me? How are you so close? _Do you know who he is_?"

He just looked at her like he was dying inside. Maybe he was.

She pushed him away from her. "Tell me, Castle."

He sighed. "Kate… the only reason I'm allowed in the precinct right now is because I'm actually helping and keeping you out of it. Gates will let you come back to work, but she'll never let you near the case. If I do _anything_ to undermine her, I'm off the case, too. _I'm off the team_. And if you're not allowed there, then I _need_ to be there even more. Because there's _no one else_ who cares as much or knows as much."

"So you won't tell me."

He just sat.

She couldn't argue with his reasoning, but it still hurt that he wouldn't tell her. They'd gone rogue several times, investigating when they weren't allowed to. That's what changed him from being "plucky sidekick" to "partner." That's what caught Royce's killer. That's what saved the city from a dirty bomb. But he wouldn't do it now, when she wanted to so badly.

She got up and walked out into the open, away from the protection of the HVAC units. "I _hate_ this."

"Tell me about it." That's supposed to be a rhetorical phrase, but she decided to tell him about it anyway.

"I'm hiding on the frickin' roof, Castle! Just so I can see the sky! I can't go to work! I can't go on a walk! What if it takes years to catch him? Are you going to secret me away somewhere, keeping me hidden for the next however many years it takes? You know what? I'm done. I'm done hiding! If you and Dad and Lanie don't like it, then tough! I'm done! I'm taking my life back, right now!" She stormed off to the service elevator and jabbed the button as hard as she could and didn't wait for Castle to catch up to her before the doors closed.

He kicked the gravel hard, sending it clattering loudly against an air conditioning unit, picked up her guitar, and trudged down the stairs. When he walked back into her apartment, she was angrily tying her new shoes.

He stood at the door, watching her, not knowing what to say. She pushed past him. He caught her wrist and pulled her back into a strong hug. "I'm sorry, Kate."

She stood there, caught between his warmth and comfort and sincerity and her anger and indignation and feeling of betrayal. She pulled away and started down the common hall, leaving him in her doorway.

"You comin', Castle?"

Oh, how he'd missed hearing those words. She sounded wounded but still wanted him with her. He locked the door behind him and caught up to her.

xox

They didn't walk too far before she began to wear out. He bought ice cream cones from a street vendor to give them an excuse to sit down and rest for a few minutes. Still, after their break, she wouldn't admit that she was less than "just fine, thank you," so they kept walking.

"What about dinner?" He searched for something to distract her from her show of independence.

"What about it?"

"Um, well, would you like to go out to eat?"

She looked at him, then back toward the apartment. Only then did she realize how far they had gone. If they tried to walk back, he would end up having to help her along. She looked back at him, and saw he was offering her an out, not just an outing.

"Sure. Let's grab a cab." He visibly relaxed.

Since they were in jeans, tee shirts, and athletic shoes, they couldn't go to any of his favorite places. They gave the cabbie the name of her favorite Chinese buffet and rode with Rick's arm around her shoulders. He toyed with the hem of her sleeve, lightly tickling the top of her bicep.

When he felt her relax against him and her breathing become less labored, he finally allowed himself to believe that this might be a good idea. It was killing him to see her hurting so much. The emotional roller coaster of her life being so out of her control, on top of physical pain, was more than she could handle sometimes. Maybe this impromptu dinner out would bring back a sense of normalcy.

They rode without talking for a while in the slow rush hour traffic. They let the relative quiet calm their frayed nerves.

Rick pressed another slow kiss to the side of her head. Kate leaned into it. She placed her hand on his thigh and let her fingers trace the inseam of his pants. Up and down his leg, slowly and softly… and the magic was back.

He swallowed and whispered, close against her ear, "Keep that up, and I'm telling the cabbie to take us to my loft." He barely kissed her ear. The warmth of his breath made her tingle all over and almost agree to his suggestion.

She moved her hand down to his knee, smirked devilishly, and replied, "Mmm. You've got to buy me dinner, first, Casanova."

He hid his apprehension of taking her out in public but still sat them at a table away from the windows. He pulled out her chair for her, waited until she sat before he did, laughed and joked, and did everything he could to make this feel normal. She loved how he merged chivalry with informality. Their feet touched under the table and made her breath hitch.

He figured it didn't look like a first date to anyone watching them, because they were familiar and comfortable with each other, talking just as easily as not. But it felt like a first date. He wanted to kiss her, sweetly, wildly, intimately, passionately. He stole her last egg roll and quirked an eyebrow to ask what she was going to do about it.

She had noticed how his eyes danced as he told her of Ryan and Esposito blowing off steam by playing pranks on Karpowski's team. She tried to not be jealous that she didn't get to participate. She bit her lip when he got that "I've uncovered a conspiracy!" look about catching Esposito and Lanie kissing in the morgue. She wondered how she had managed to win this amazing man's affection.

So when he took her egg roll and challenged her with just a look, she matched his expression... then got up and got another from the buffet. She laughed aloud at how he deflated. She giggled inwardly at how she instantly commanded his attention by slowly eating the egg roll. _So easy. Put anything slightly phallic in my mouth, and he's 17 again. I should invest in popsicles. Hmm. Now, that might be fun._

"Egg rolls turn you on, Castle?"

"It's not the egg roll that's doing it for me, Beckett."

Beckett? He knew she was toying with him. But she wasn't, not totally.

It made her wonder why she'd done it in the first place. The banter was part of the dance they do, and while it had recently become much more suggestive than the verbal sparring they were accustomed to doing, they had an island to move. (That _was_ Lanie's metaphor, right?) She didn't need to seduce him, nor vice versa. Neither one of them was going anywhere.

He gave her a "you're thinking loudly again" look. She smiled an "it's nothing."

She absently touched her pinky knuckle to the back of his hand and propped her head with her other hand. They were finished with their meal and had just been talking and sipping tea, so she looked up, almost innocently, and said, "Take me home, Rick."

x

_Please leave me a review. They're addictive like professional massages._


	15. Chapter 15

**15**

_**Previously:**__ Kate demanded more freedom, they went on a walk then out to dinner. She realized there was no need for seduction and told him to take her home._

_x_

Night fell while they were in the restaurant, but there was still plenty of ambient light from traffic and streetlights and the buildings' windows, that the sidewalk was almost as lighted as in daytime.

Kate was actually nervous. It really did feel like a first date. How could that be, with so much history? He had already spent so many nights watching over her as she healed. They had spent so many days in her blasted apartment, she demanded to leave it only a few hours ago. But now, with his hand holding hers as he tried to hail a cab, she wanted nothing more than to get back home. With him.

Rick was getting angry. Why was there never an available cab when you were in a hurry? The street was packed with yellow cars, but none pulled up to them. Well, one did, but an old lady started to get in so they said nothing. Rick even held and shut the door for her. He wondered if he could be rude and pushy and get away with it when he got old. He tried so hard to not let his impatience show. He was good at masking his emotions, so when he turned back to Kate, he didn't look perturbed at all. His mother would have been proud. He wondered if he shouldn't have veiled his frustration and desire and nervousness, and let her see how he was really feeling.

This was really different for her. All the times she'd given him a hard time then turned away to hide her smile; all the times he'd done something sweet and she bit her lip then thanked him, but then turned to her computer screen so he didn't see her blush; all the times he hinted at a subject (like little Castle babies) and she acted like he hadn't spoken at all; that was the habit she'd carefully created and was now working to break.

Her palms were beginning to sweat from all the butterflies flying around in her stomach. He seemed so cool and collected. She made herself not look away when he glanced back at her. She smiled in embarrassment that he had just caught her checking out his ass.

He thought it was adorable. Kate Beckett was embarrassed. And letting it show. Because _she was_ _checking him out_ while he tried to flag a cab. He dropped the cool act and turned to her.

He actually looked nervous. And turned on. Was he about to kiss her, right here on the sidewalk? She wanted him to. If they kissed, it couldn't be taken back, or buried in a case file. She couldn't pretend it was meaningless, since she wasn't allowed near any cases. Besides that, she didn't want to pretend.

The river of humanity sharing the sidewalk barely took notice of the two people stepping closer to each other. The cab he'd just waved at pulled to the curb. " 'Ey, Buddy, you gettin' in?"

He tugged her toward him, stepped back toward the cab, and said, "Yeah," to the driver all at once. He kept his eyes on hers as he opened the door for her, trying to hold on to the moment for as long as he could. He wasn't going to let the bad timing of a cab finally stopping mess up what they were building towards.

When he slipped into the seat next to her, Kate was already giving the driver her address. He had mentioned going to the loft, but Alexis and Martha could be there. She wanted Rick all to herself tonight. She really wasn't sure what would happen; only that _something_ would happen. As the cab took them back to her apartment, she delighted in how he toyed with her hair and how strong his thigh felt under her fingers and how warm his leg felt against hers and how they fit just right when she leaned against his side like this and how his breath tickled her ear as he whispered into it.

What he'd whispered, she had no idea. Perhaps she should use more than one sense at a time. "What was that?"

"Thank you for a lovely dinner." His eyes sparkled as he said it.

She rolled her eyes. Dinner had been his suggestion, and only to save her from hurting and embarrassing herself by trying to walk too far back home. But really had been lovely, hadn't it?

Rick was trying to figure out what should come next. He was tempted to walk her to her door, kiss her, then say good night as a gentleman should on a first date. But he wasn't ready for their evening to end.

He asked the driver to stop for a minute at a convenience store and ran inside, leaving Kate to wonder what he was doing. The cabbie didn't care as long as he got paid.

Rick returned with one plastic bag, a can of whipped cream and a jar of maraschino cherries peeking out of the top.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Dessert." He smiled casually.

"A bit presumptuous, doncha think?" Her playful sexy smirk didn't hide the uncertainty in her eyes.

He pressed the plastic bag so that it stuck to the ice cream carton at the bottom of the bag. She tried to not show too much relief and smiled. "Good idea. Thank you; that's sweet."

She wanted something to happen, sure, but going all in with whipped cream kinkiness wasn't the something she wanted. For tonight, anyway.

Leaving the cabbie with a generous tip, Rick led Kate back to her apartment. After all the elevator rides they had shared, this one shouldn't have been so wonderfully tense. But this was different, and they both knew it. This one was leading Somewhere. He still held her hand, but not tightly. His grasp was loose, almost tentative. She stood close enough that her elbow touched his, keeping her several degrees warmer than the temperature justified. She fidgeted with the charm on her necklace.

He felt silly. He'd been on so many dates, this shouldn't be a big deal. So why did he feel like a 16 year old getting to go into a girl's room for the first time?

She felt ridiculous. She'd kissed him (passionately) before, been held by him multiple times, hugged him several times. She'd been close enough to inhale his actual scent beneath his cologne more times than she'd ever let on. He'd made her heart race countless times. So why should this, right now, feel so new?

She fumbled for her keys and realized she didn't have them. She'd walked out with Castle standing in the doorway. He had them, right? She turned to him, looking like a deer in the headlights, feeling like an idiot for not having her keys.

He smiled a tiny bit, not really worried about the keys (they were in his pocket since he'd locked up), and just watched her. Only for a few seconds. Kate Beckett, flustered and unsure, wasn't something he got to see often. He pulled the keys out quietly. "May I?"

She stood between him and the door, but didn't move. The frustrated look washed away. Rick had it taken care of, again. He was so freaking near perfect she could scream.

He slid the key into the lock, leaning impossibly close to her, very aware of the smoky look she was giving him. She was so damn gorgeous he could live in this moment forever. Almost.

He let go of the key and slid his hand to the small of her back, slowly pulling her flush against his body. He tilted his head down to where hers was already tilted upwards and gently touched his lips to hers. Yeah, this moment. This was the one he could live in forever.

_x_

_Please, please leave me a review. They're addictive like making fun of people who obsessively tan. Seriously, you look like a burnt cheez-it._


	16. Chapter 16

_**16**_

_**Previously: **__UST and __lots__ of it. First date kiss started outside Beckett's door. _

The spark that flickered when she first said, "You have no idea," was now a roaring wildfire. The tiny gentle first touch of their lips took her breath away and stole his capacity to produce any thought.

The only thing she could hear was the memory of him whispering "I love you, Kate." She could only remember him saying it once, in the hospital, but knew it wasn't the only time he had said it. Just like she'd woken up knowing that she had been shot, but not actually remembering it occurring. She kissed him back, catching his lips fully in hers and paused there, letting her sense of reality catch up with what was happening.

His brain began to function again and he realized her lips were on his. He dropped the bag with their dessert on the floor, and the can of whipped cream rolled out. They didn't notice or care. Rick ran his newly freed fingers through her hair pressing her closer, with his other hand still on her lower back. His tongue touched her lips, opening her mouth as they both got lost in a mind numbing combination of heat and wetness and taste and she was pressed against the door, feeling him firm against her, then -

- then they heard, "Ew, creep, quit watching," down the common hall. The teenage girl shoved her pimply faced brother back inside their apartment. They barely heard him stammer something about whipped cream. Then the girl's voice came louder, "Take it inside, please! That's why doors were invented!"

Rick chuckled and Kate smiled, "Their mother already hates me." Rick unlocked the door, and only then did their bodies separate. He brought in the bag and found himself being pushed against the closing door. Kate locked the deadbolt while returning to their kiss, just as fiery as before the boy got caught peeping. The bag fell again.

After a minute, Rick managed to say something nearly incoherent about the ice cream and the freezer. Kate understood but ignored it. He forced out between kisses, "Gonna melt." She whispered, "Don't care."

Time passed - maybe 4 minutes, maybe 40, they couldn't tell - with kisses hot and fast and soft and slow… fingers caressing backs, grasping necks, running through hair, untucking shirts, touching skin… lips and tongues on lips, jaws, necks, collarbones, ears… hearts racing and pounding and skipping beats… throats emitting involuntary moans, gasps, and growls… it was damn near sensory overload.

Kate slipped her fingertips into the waistband of Rick's jeans and pulled him to the couch, leaning back as he propped himself above her.

Rick studied her face. He focused on her eyes.

She couldn't read his expression. It wasn't lust or desire or even love. He was searching. "What?" she whispered. She could see her chest heaving with the exertion of breathing.

"Are you really as sure about this as you're acting?" He wasn't going to chance messing this up.

"No." Her answer contradicted her 'come get me' expression. He really didn't know what to do with that.

He kissed her neck. "What part are you not sure about?"

She swallowed and closed her eyes. Very quietly, "I don't know."

He began a trail up her collarbone, making her sigh. "Unsure that you want me?"

"No."

Across her shoulder. "That I want you?"

"No."

Down her bicep. "That I love you?"

"No." She didn't flinch, which made him pause.

An open-mouthed kiss on the inside of her elbow. "You're sure I love you?"

"Yes." _Holy crap._

She smiled, eyes still closed. His warm kisses were the best truth serum ever.

They continued down the inside of her arm. "Do you love me?"

Her eyes opened at that. He was tenderly holding her arm, trying to look nonchalant, but actually looking rather nervous.

"Yes." _Holy freakin' crap._

He smiled. He knew it, but it was good to hear it out loud.

He kissed her wrist and laid it down, following its path. He nosed the hem of her tee shirt up and kissed her hip. She gasped.

"Then what are you unsure of?"

No answer. She was watching him.

He resumed his trail of kisses across her soft stomach. "You're worried…"

Her eyes closed again.

His tongue circled her belly button. Her hand clenched in his hair. "… about how you look?"

His kisses trailed upward, pushing her shirt higher as he went.

"Rick…"

He was at the very bottom tip of her scar. Her hands were on his shoulders, stopping him from advancing higher. He slipped one hand under her shirt, resting it on her ribs.

He kissed the edge of the scar then looked in her eyes. "Well, Katherine, I am at a loss for words. I would tell you that you're beautiful, and your scar is beautiful because it means you lived through that day, but Lanie already told you I thought that." Maybe it wasn't a good idea to share that Lanie had told him about their girl talk on their short walk, judging from Kate's expression. "She only told me because she put words in my mouth and wanted to make sure she was right. She was."

He looked so sweet right then she couldn't manage to stay nervous. She pulled him up to kiss him again, and this time, she got so lost in how he could take her to the brink of sanity with his kisses and how wonderful he felt and how masterfully his hands moved on her body and how hot he looked when she peeled his tee shirt off of him, she forgot about her insecurities.

She absently noted that dark jeans with a wide leather belt and no shirt was a _very_ good look for Richard Castle.

She couldn't keep her fingers from undoing his belt, button and zipper as she peppered his shoulders and chest with open mouthed kisses.

_So not fair._ It was taking all his strength to not pull her clothes off of her, but he didn't want to give her a chance to become insecure again. If she took her kisses any lower he couldn't guarantee he'd remember what was holding him back.

Kate pushed him up, rising with him; he kissed her neck as she licked from his collarbone over to his shoulder. He sat up on the couch feeling her move across him into his lap while her lips or tongue never left his skin. With his hands on her waist under her shirt and her mouth on his throat and her sitting where she could feel how much he wanted her - and see it, too, since she had undone his pants (boxers do little to hide that) - his control crumbled. He started kissing her ear and sucking on the spot behind her lobe and he growled, "God I want you."

He felt her move and cotton push him away from her skin as she pulled off her shirt; he didn't stop to take in the sight just yet, just focused on touching and kissing the newly bare skin. She arched against him, loving the delicious sensation, and wanted him to never stop.

He laid her back down and reached to pull off her shoes, undid her pants, then leaned back over her. He smiled, "Now we match," as he went back to kissing her all over. "No, wait, not quite." He consumed her lips in such an engulfing kiss that she arched off the couch to bring her body up to his, and he reached back to unhook her bra.

He slipped it off of her when she sunk back into the couch. "Now we match."

He paused, just to admire her. _God, she's gorgeous…. Oh, shit, I've got Beckett topless._

Her heart pounded. _He's staring…. Oh, shit, he's staring at my scar._

_She's perfect._

_I'm damaged._

Their eyes met; she saw desire; he saw fear. "Kate. I love you. And there is no word to describe how gorgeous you are." He almost said "to me" at the end of that sentence, but had the presence of mind to hold his tongue. "And, can I add… how much I _love_ seeing that castle against your chest."

He kissed the scar just below the castle charm then captured her mouth in another passionate kiss.

She knew she should have said 'I love you, too,' but didn't. He already knew it. And he knew her well enough that he'd managed to say exactly what she needed to hear. He loves her, he wants her, and the scar doesn't change that.

"You're perfect," she somehow whispered, despite the lump in her throat from the wave of emotions.

xox

Hours later, they laid skin to skin, nuzzling each other's necks, talking, whispering, trading feather-light kisses, and even giggling.

"Hey Kate?"

"Hmmm?"

"As much as I love this… please don't get shot again, okay?"

She just looked at him. He had a teasing glint in his eye.

"I mean, it kind of got us here, but when I'm ready to propose, I don't want you to require another near-death experience to get you to say yes."

She watched his eyes change to serious then to nervous as he spoke.

Kate smiled, openly and honestly. "I'll do my best."

x

x

_After that, you HAVE to give me a review. I'm addicted to reviews. As if you didn't know._


	17. Chapter 17

**17**

_**Previously: **__Brown chicken brown cow. I love yous. No more scar insecurity. Hint at wanting to propose._

She wondered if his silk boxers cost as much as her entire outfit as she watched him (wearing only those boxers) wipe up the pool of sticky white liquid.

"Why do I have to clean this up? You're the one that said you didn't care if it melted," he whined.

"Would you prefer to have stopped what we were doing to put the ice cream in the freezer?" She strutted over to him and ran her fingers up his spine into his hair. "Besides, if it doesn't get cleaned up, it'll attract roaches, and God knows there are 1000 times as many roaches in this city as people." Kate retrieved the whipped cream and cherries from the floor by the door where they had been abandoned.

He threw the towel in the tiny stacked washer and heard the refrigerator door shut. "You know that we'll have to find an alternate use for those since we don't have ice cream for sundaes, right?"

"I'm sure they won't go to waste." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

She didn't let the kiss deepen (even though she wanted to) because her chest was sore from exertion. "Are you staying the night?"

He sighed at the absurdity of her question. "You might have to pull your gun on me to make me leave."

Good. He wasn't slinking out. She hated that she was still so insecure. He really wasn't going anywhere. He meant that, didn't he?

She turned to walk back to the bedroom, detouring into the bathroom for a few minutes. He leaned back against the wall to try and figure out how to make her believe it was okay to hope and trust… in them.

He thought back to his conversation with Jim that got the ball rolling by getting him to put his watch back on. From there he gave her a watch that said, "No more 'if only'," and a picture frame of her family that held her mother's ring, and a castle charm for her necklace. Well, technically, the last one was from Alexis, but it still counted. This was so hard to do without coming across as being manipulative.

And it seemed to be working. She said she loves him, and he said he loves her, and they made love - _which was freaking amazing!_ - and they weren't weird afterward, even when he mentioned wanting to propose one day, and she was getting ready to spend the night snuggled in his arms.

He had to push away the fear that this was too good to be true. That it might all explode in his face and he'd lose her. That he didn't deserve her.

He had no idea that she was looking in the mirror battling the same fears.

xox

He heard her breathing become slow and even as she nestled against his chest. Her fingers that had been roaming his torso became still. Her toes stopped playing with his. He whispered again against her hair, "I love you, Kate."

He felt her smile then sleepily mumble, "I love you, too, Rick."

He smiled, and he wondered if he had misjudged whether or not she was sleeping before; if she'd been hearing his confessions of love all along. Somehow, that made his insecurity wash away.

He rubbed her tee-shirt covered back and moved his leg just to feel the softness of hers on it.

xox

They sat in the bakery eating their breakfast, laughing and joking. After breakfast, he'd walk her back home then go to the precinct to see if there was anything new. He told her over their pastries how he'd gone in a few days before, and got to ride with Esposito and Ryan to a "weird one." He was thankful that he was still being treated as part of the team. Maybe Gates wasn't so bad as she'd seemed at first.

Kate was glad to be hearing about a case, even if it wasn't her own. She threw out a few ideas, and they built a little theory, and it felt good. It shouldn't be too long, maybe only days, until she was cleared for desk duty. She couldn't wait.

Rick loved seeing the glint in her eye and smile on her lips as she worked through the puzzle of the case. They actually came up with some good theories that he would take to Esposito and Ryan. She noticed him staring and bit her lip with a demure smile.

"I need to be at home tonight with Alexis tonight, but can I take you out again for dinner tomorrow night?"

He knew she'd say yes, but it still made him crazy happy when she answered, "Absolutely."

xox

"Damn, Castle, I haven't seen that shit-eatin' grin since Deep Fried Twinkie was in town," Esposito grinned. Ryan perked up then almost laughed at Castle's stunned/proud/embarrassed look. Castle shrugged and went back to grinning, though not as brightly.

"So, anything new?" Castle looked at the murder board.

"Apparently," quipped Ryan, still staring at Castle.

Castle leaned against Kate's desk, trying to ignore them. Which was really hard since he really wanted to tell them. "Anything new _with the case_?"

The two detectives had a tried and true method of interrogation, getting a suspect comfortable then asking a leading question that set up a confession. Since Castle wasn't being cooperative, they both automatically went into this interrogation routine. He wouldn't even see it coming.

They filled him in on new information they got in, and noticed how he kept fidgeting. "Something you want to add, Castle?" Esposito prompted.

"Well, you've got the creepy brother over here, with motive, the jerk-off uncle over here with means, but they alibi each other at a bar. So we were thinking, maybe they're friends with the barkeep, and the barkeep lied about them being there. That puts them both back in the suspect pool with no alibi."

Ryan and Esposito mulled over what he'd said, considering the validity. They exchanged thoughtful looks, and Ryan got to proceed with the questioning. "That's good theory, Castle. So who is this 'we' that came up with it with you?" A softball question to start.

"Beckett." _Duh._

"Oh. You two always come up with good theory. When did you get to tell her about the case?" Ryan asked very casually. He didn't share that they had the same idea yesterday and were already working up info on the barkeep.

"This morning, at breakfast."

"Ah. I see. At her place?" Ryan stayed casual, looking at the murder board like the small talk didn't matter.

"At a bakery." Castle knew what they were doing, but he could keep a secret. He was pretty sure he could keep a secret, anyway.

Esposito knew. He knew from Lanie that Castle had gone to Kate's yesterday afternoon, then neither of them answered the phone all night. Then Kate sounded really happy this morning.

But there was a dance to do, as in every interrogation. He jibed, "So you met her there? As in came separately?"

"Esposito, I know you're dying to know, but asking if we came together or separately is a little crass, don't you think? Besides, that's just way too much information to be sharing." A smug smile spread across Castle's face at his crude double entendre's effect.

The boys' shocked slack-jawed expressions were priceless, and the questioning had effectively been shut down.

Esposito recovered first, so he shook his head and muttered, "Dude. She is SO gonna kill you for saying that."

"What?" Castle feigned innocence. "I really didn't say anything. I neither confirmed nor denied. You simply inferred."

Ryan's mouth lifted in a half-smile, in awe of the way Castle could just use words to screw with people's minds.

They got back to work, were sure that the barkeep/brother/uncle theory was true, and Castle headed home, leaving the boys with the legwork and paperwork.

xox

Kate had dinner with her father that night, and admitted she'd had an actual date with Rick the night before, and were having another the next night. Jim hugged her and told her he was very happy for her. He hinted at about a savings account he'd started when she was a teenager to cover her wedding.

She rolled her eyes. "Daddy, we're not there yet."

" 'Yet' being the key word in that sentence," he replied with a smile.

She bit her bottom lip and blushed a little, but hoped she'd turned away before he could see.

He chuckled. _As if_ he didn't know exactly why she'd looked away.

When she got home, she answered her phone. "Hey Lanie."

"So you and Writer Boy got it on last night?"

"Huh?"

"Javi said Castle was mighty happy today. They almost got a confession out of him before he shut them down."

Ah, so he didn't give details.

Kate sighed, pretending to be exasperated with her friend. Part of her wanted to give details like a teenage girl. The jaded adult in her said to be evasive. She settled on somewhere in the middle.

"We had a walk and a dinner date last night. And we're having another date tomorrow night. That's enough to make Castle a happy man."

"Uh huh. You sound pretty dang happy, too."

"Yeah. Well. I kinda am." She was sure Lanie could hear her grinning. She was just glad her friend couldn't see her twirling her hair.

xox

Her next call was from Rick, which she answered while in the bubble bath. She didn't tell him at first, and just enjoyed his voice while soaking in the scented bubbles.

"I told Mother and Lex that we have a date tomorrow night. I figured that simply letting them know beforehand would ease them into the idea. Alexis was glad we're moving to a 'more normal' relationship."

"Good. That's how I handled my dad and Lanie. Except I told them we had a date last night, too. No details, of course."

"Hmm." He was confused.

"What?"

"I just didn't expect you to want Lanie and the boys to know yet."

"Well, they're trained detectives. They'd figure it out anyway. When I get back to work, it'll just be a lot smoother if they're not needling us trying to figure out what we are now. Besides, Lanie said you pretty much told them everything this morning anyhow."

She turned on the hot water to reheat the filled tub.

Castle was distracted by the sound. "I told them nothing, but they are trained detectives, as you said. Kate, what's that sound?"

"Just reheating my bubble bath." She didn't mean to make her voice huskier, but it was.

"Uh… Kate… You evil temptress."

"See you tomorrow night, Castle." He didn't think it was fair for her to use such a sultry voice to say her goodbye.

"Until tomorrow, Detective."

x

x

_Your mind totally went in the gutter with that opening line, didn't it? You perv. (Tee hee) Like how I handled the post-sex, morning after, and telling friends & family?_

_Please oh please leave me a review! They're addictive like babies' giggles._


	18. Chapter 18

**18**

_**If you haven't seen this, go watch it NOW.**_ _**"Advice from Castle" by Ryan Sage on youtube. GAH! **_

_**Previously:**__ Post-sex insecurity was alleviated, morning-after sweetness in the bakery. They told their friends and family they were starting to date._

Her phone chimed with a new text, "cocktail dress, might need a sweater".

This just might have been the first text she'd ever received from Richard Castle that didn't have proper grammar and punctuation.

He was nervous. This would be their first planned date. He shouldn't be so nervous. _We've had a first date. It lasted into the next morning. It was great. It was perfect. It could only go down from here. No! Up! It was awesome, and would only get better. Right? I love her, she loves me. She didn't freak when I stupidly mentioned proposing one day. Tonight will be great. I hope._

She was fumbling through her closet. Cocktail dress. Did she even have one that would cover her scar? She found one with a high neckline and low back. She texted him back, "Jade green," knowing that he liked to complement his dates' outfits. _Ugh. Of all the mental images I didn't need, it was all the women I've seen hanging on his arm. This is different though, right?_

He arrived at her door and knocked, despite being here so often lately he knew he was allowed to let himself in. She had already buzzed him up and unlocked the door out of habit.

She answered the door with a self-conscious smile, and he simply said, "Wow," kissed her, then continued, "You look radiant." From the look on his face, she knew he meant it.

"Thank you." He surely expected some smart aleck response or drastic understatement about how he looked (since that was the precedent she had set), so she bit her lip to stop herself from saying it. The truth was, he was really hot. Perhaps she should say so? She kissed him, thankful for smudge-proof lipstick, then whispered into his ear, "Then I guess that means we'll make an incredibly sexy couple." He couldn't help but smile, lean in, and kiss her back.

He had a town car drive them so he could focus on her - he knew she'd look stunning and he'd be too distracted to drive - so she really had no idea where they were going. She knew where they were, of course, but there were no restaurants around here, just docks. They pulled into the marina and stepped out onto a pier. He took her hand to help her out of the car then offered his arm, which she took with a sense of wonder.

"We're going on a boat?" He nodded with that 'excited child' smile and sparkling eyes.

When they stopped at the last slip, he grinned at her sharp inhale and the little 'o' that her lips formed.

"You like?"

She nodded yes. "You did good, Castle."

"Did well."

"That too, but I actually meant 'good'. And don't correct my grammar on a date." She gave him a mock-slap on the chest. He smirked.

The boat was huge. There was a dance floor with paper lanterns strung around and above it and a phenomenal jazz band played near the cabin. The dance floor was surrounded by dinner tables with linen tablecloths and fresh flowers. The tables were spaced well apart to give diners privacy. Most were empty, however, since their occupants roamed the dance floor mingling with other guests.

There were a few faces Kate recognized - some politicians, an actor, and an athlete - and the faces she didn't recognize were obviously wealthy socialites. Rick was totally in his element and sexy as hell. She knew she wasn't arm candy, so being on his arm made her feel comfortable despite the disparity from her usual surroundings.

She smiled graciously as he introduced her to everyone he knew, which seemed to be half of the guests, and blushed when the Yankees shortstop suggested he'd take care of her if Ricky here wasn't doing the job properly. Rick laughed at the joke, but Kate still felt him pull her closer possessively. He relaxed seconds later when she said she appreciated the offer (which really did flatter her) but Ricky was doing the job flawlessly.

She whispered in Rick's ear after leaving the athlete, "Did you just get a little jealous there, Ricky?"

He shifted to look in her eyes. "Maybe." His mouth was only a breath away from hers; he stayed there until he saw her eyes flick down to his lips then back up to his eyes, and he knew he had nothing to worry about.

"Oh, Detective Beckett, Richard Castle, nice to see you both again." They turned to face the mayor and his wife.

"Bob, lovely to see you again." Rick was proud of Kate for stepping up and answering before he did. He had been hiding his nervousness that she wouldn't be okay in this setting, but she was handling it marvelously. "This must be your wife?"

The mayor got a mischievous grin and answered, "No, she's a hooker."

His wife let out a shocked laugh and slapped his arm, then introduced herself, ending her introduction with, "his _wife_. I swear, that man."

Kate laughed, "I can see why he gets along so famously with Rick!" The two ladies chatted while Rick and Bob talked, and Rick couldn't help but happily sneak glances at Kate. He caught her doing the same. They smiled.

"First date?" Oh yeah, she was talking with the mayor's wife.

"No, second."

"Well, you two are an adorable couple. Bob smiled when you walked in; said Rick's been crazy about you for a long time." Kate just smiled, because she didn't know what to say to that and wasn't about to admit to feeling the same way.

Bob asked how Kate was healing and told Rick that she looked well. Rick agreed, "She's not 100% yet, but she goes back to work Monday, and she's thrilled about that." Bob nodded in approval.

They danced. Kate did her best to not look dreamily into Rick's eyes like a smitten adolescent. But, even back when she was trying to not fall for him, she would find herself lost in those incredible blue eyes. It wasn't helping that Rick kept his eyes locked on her like she was the most amazing thing on the planet.

Which, of course, was exactly what he was thinking.

They ate and laughed and talked then danced some more. The boat cruised around Liberty Island and they commented on the greatness that Lady Liberty symbolized. Leaning together against the railing, with his arms wrapped warmly around her, they felt completely at home. Their touch contained comfort and electricity, love and lust, security and passion. Rick stole a kiss despite expecting her to not want any public displays of affection. But maybe a small one was okay, since she kissed him back. Only a few people noticed, and they were people who wouldn't make a fuss over it and get them in the gossip column.

After three hours, the cruise was over. Their ride back to her apartment was filled with laughter, discussing the people she'd met and stories Rick knew about them. He lifted her face by touching under her chin. "I'm glad you had a good time, Kate. I hoped you would like it, but I was nervous about it." He couldn't figure out how to say he was unsure she'd like the people in his circle, so he left that unsaid.

"I had a fantastic time, thank you. And you made it easy for me to be comfortable. I was surprised by how not-snobby they were. Except, I did get a few strange looks when I was polite to the wait staff. Was I supposed to pretend they were invisible?"

"Lots of people do, but I don't. It's weird. Once I was at a party, and everyone was really snotty, so I snuck into the kitchen and hung out with the help. Paula was pissed."

Kate started to say, "I bet," but Rick kissed her. So _very_ passionately. She melted into him, into the kiss, trying to not lose all sensibility in the back seat of a town car. Her toes curled as his hands slid down her ribs, pulling her against him as he performed magic with his tongue. The kiss left her breathless when he pulled back, gasping, "I've wanted to do that all night."

The kiss in her elevator was even hotter.

And the one that started inside her door and ended in her bed was scorching. For all their work and nervousness picking out their clothes, they didn't care one bit that those clothes quickly ended up in a haphazard pile on the floor.

He somehow managed to proceed slower this time, and she didn't understand why… until after, when her chest _didn't_ ache as they laid tangled together, touching and talking, then he nibbled her neck, kissed her shoulder, then took her into another intoxicating kiss, ready for more.

Near dawn, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

An hour later, he left a note,

_Sleep well, my love. As much as I ADORE waking up with you, I have to go perform the walk of shame (the first of many, hopefully, until I talk you into moving in with me). Call me when you're up. Hopefully, Alexis won't give me too hard of a time for staying out all night on a real date. I might get grounded. XOXO Rick_

He re-read the note, deciding that she wouldn't feel like he'd skulked out after she read it. He'd have flowers delivered around noon, just to make sure; with a card that says _I miss you already_. Overkill? Perhaps. But she'd secretly like it.

_x_

_x_

_Please review. I'm totally addicted to checking for them. They're addictive like watching that video I told you to watch at the top of the chapter. Holy moly._


	19. Chapter 19

_**19**_

_**Previously: **__Everyone knows they're dating. Dinner and dancing on a boat. More sex & a fluffy note._

Kate and Rick tried not to let all-nighters happen often. Rick still had a wonderful daughter at home who still vacillated between being happy and petrified for her father. He attempted to keep their normal routine, but nothing had been normal since that sniper took his shot.

Alexis had hoped that, with a normal dating relationship, her dad wouldn't feel the need to keep going to the precinct every day. She was wrong. The fact that Kate was restricted to desk duty provided her with some small comfort. But she also knew that, when Kate was allowed to do field work again, her dad would follow her into it.

She adored Kate, she really did, and she loved how happy her dad had been since they were officially dating. But Alexis couldn't help but dream about seeing Kate getting shot. About her father's brokenness when they didn't know if she would make it. She knew he wouldn't survive if Kate didn't make it. Plus, she was beginning to believe that Kate would be just as devastated if anything happened to him. And she knew in her heart that she couldn't take it if anything happened to either of them.

So when they all had a big family dinner together, complete with Kate's father, she had to get him alone to ask some tough questions. They had developed a good rapport in the hospital, so she was sure he'd answer her honestly.

"Mr. Beckett-"

"Jim."

"Jim. How did you handle it when your wife died?"

He saw the pain behind her question and knew where it was coming from.

"I got drunk. For years. It wasn't the best coping mechanism, but it was the only one that I had."

"Oh. I didn't know. If you don't mind me asking, what changed? I mean, you seem better now."

He told her the same thing he had told Rick the day he took his watch back, about God and faith and support. He added a little about Christ and forgiveness and prayer. He wasn't preachy; he simply shared his own story.

"I still have hard days, especially after Katie was shot. I still miss her mother sometimes. Nightmares still come. I worry about Kate getting hurt on the job. And now I worry about your dad, too."

"So, how are you so happy? You and Gram act totally thrilled about them being together, despite how dangerous it is."

"Well, Sweetie, I guess we both know how short life is, and how important it is to seize all the love and joy you can before your time's up. We have no choice in when we go, so we need to make the most of every moment we have. Seeing them embracing life and love is a good thing. That's how we can be happy despite them having a dangerous job."

"But it's _not his job_."

"It's his job to be with and protect the ones he loves."

"Yeah, well, what if protecting her means he ends up getting killed thus not able to do his job of being with me?" She felt like a spoiled brat asking this of a man who had lost his love, especially since she was talking about his daughter. But she had to ask somebody who had been through it.

"We don't have a choice of when they go. Just of how much we love them while they're here. And if anything does happen, I'll make sure you don't go through it alone."

Alexis appreciated that he didn't offer any platitudes that nothing would happen and everything would be fine. His answers, though hard, were reassuring. She slept easier after that, and worried a little less.

xox

Rick and Kate dated like a normal couple, despite being together at work more often than not.

They hosted the fundraiser and landed on Page Six looking spectacular. She was far less nervous than she had expected to be about being in the Society column. Her parents had been in the socialite scene for a while, so it wasn't a completely foreign world to her. She'd accompanied Rick to a formal event early in their partnership, so that part wasn't new either. When she was trying to not fall for him, she used his celebrity status as a wedge between them. But criminals had proven to not have a clue who Richard Castle was when he was introduced during interrogations, and it wasn't like thugs read the society page anyway, so it didn't have any impact on their work.

Plus, she was used to men staring at her. She would just have to get used to having an occasional camera flash in her direction. He wasn't a movie star, just an author, so with him off the Eligible Bachelors List, he really wouldn't be big news anyway. So, really, she had no logical reason for it to make her uncomfortable. She decided to be okay with it all.

The whole team made it onto Page Six after they arrived together in formalwear for the red-carpet opening of _Heat Wave_. The boys acted more excited about it than the girls. Esposito received a slap on the chest when he grinned about how it could help him pick up chicks. Lanie didn't appreciate his joke, so he reassured her with a kiss in front of everybody.

xox

They attended Ryan's wedding together. Their goo-goo eyes were only surpassed by the bride and groom's. Lanie and Esposito didn't have any snide remarks at the reception, so they must have been making goo-goo eyes of their own.

xox

They boys told them to "get a room" several times at work when their innuendo and heated looks got too hot. They were seen kissing in the break room more than once. The Captain knew, and didn't like it, but their clearance rate was the highest it had ever been, and they never let a suspect or victim's family see even a hint of PDA. So Gates acted like she didn't notice. Because, truthfully, most the time it was no more than a look or a quick touch that sizzled, and she couldn't fault them for that, not when they made her department look so good.

xox

They fought so terribly about Rick not sharing whatever serious shit - for lack of a better term - was going down with the investigation that _they didn't speak_ for almost _two weeks_. They were both being stubborn and principled. They were both wrong. And they were both right.

He kept showing up at work, and only spoke when he had something real to add, and addressed the team, not just Beckett. They both stayed silent in the car on the way to crime scenes, even.

Their commitment never faltered during that time, though. All it took was one word and one honest look, and they both caved. Their make-up was just as heated and explosive as the fight, but in a much more pleasurable way. They ran out of whipped cream that night. If nothing else, Rick Castle and Kate Beckett were passionate.

xox

They saw Alexis off to college together, with hugs and tears all around.

They helped Martha move into the studio apartment at her acting school. Not that they expected her to not pop in to the loft constantly, but there were dramatic au revoirs there as well.

Normal dinner and movie dates fell in between black tie events with the society folk and lazer tag battles with whole gang.

xox

They often simply sat on the rooftop of Kate's apartment building on lazy afternoons off watching clouds with her playing guitar and him stealing kisses. Or at night, watching the city lights with Rick spinning stories about the people below while she tried to distract him from his story.

So she wasn't surprised the evening he asked to go up to the roof.

But, there, she found a quilt surrounded by candles, a bottle of wine in an ice bucket, and a picnic basket with gourmet food. Rick was romantic like that, and it took her breath away.

He smiled and led her to sit on the quilt, between his legs leaning back against him. They ate; they talked; they laughed; they kissed.

Then he asked, "Kate, love, do you remember what you said to me when you first read the inscription on your watch?"

She smiled as she glanced for the millionth time at the watch he gave her. She was pretty sure she knew where he was going with this, and she turned to face him with an expectant smile. "That I thought it was going to say 'Always'."

"Do you remember how I answered?"

"That both gifts couldn't have the same inscription." She'd never brought it up, but she had often wondered if… no, _when_… she would get a ring with that inscription.

He pulled a small box from his pocket, robin's egg blue tied with a white ribbon, and her heart was in her throat. She didn't even care that she had tears already running down her cheeks, nor that she was already nodding yes, although he hadn't even started to voice his proposal.

_x_

_x_

_Leave a review? I'll be your best friend._


	20. Chapter 20

**20**

_**Previously: **__They've been dating, it's all good. They're on the roof, with a candlelit picnic, and Rick just pulled out a Tiffany's ring box. Kate is already teary and nodding yes._

Rick grinned. "God, Kate, you're beautiful." It was barely a whisper, like he didn't even mean to say it. He was surprised that he wasn't nervous. He had no reason to be, but he had every reason to be. Beautiful irony.

He had a speech, a fancy proposal, that he'd been practicing for two weeks. She was smiling, waiting to hear it, eyes shining. She was expecting something wonderful from the best-selling world-famous author, the kind of proposal you tell your great-grandkids about.

But he had a lump in his throat. And his mind seemed to be blank. _Breathe, Rick_. She knew what he was asking with just the lead in and nodded yes, and his subconscious must have decided that was all he needed. _I got nothin'. _

He pulled the ribbon to untie the bow, slowly opening the ring box. Maybe he'd remember the words if he just started talking. "You amaze me. You're the strongest and bravest person I've ever known. You can't imagine how good it makes me feel to sometimes get to protect you." He caressed her face. "And I love watching you puzzle through a case, how smart you are, and how you want justice for the victims and how compassionate you are for their families." He still couldn't remember his speech, but she was smiling at what he was saying.

"I love sitting up here with you or, really, doing anything with you. I don't want anyone else at my side, ever. I want to take care of you. I want to have a family with you. I want to share my life with you. I want it all, everything, with you."

He opened the box and she took the ring out. He was pretty sure that what he actually said wasn't half as good as what he had planned to say. But she was happy and teary, so he figures it was good enough. She looked at the diamond, which was beautiful, but quickly went to look for the inscription. Her smile grew even larger when she found it.

She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Always."

xox

They were wrapped up in the sheets hours later. (He had wanted to make love on the rooftop - "We have a quilt and candles. What else do we need?" "Walls." - so she dragged him inside, kissing him all the way. The mother of the two teenaged neighbors scoffed at them making out as they moved from the elevator to her door, but Kate held up her left hand to let the ring sparkle, and the woman couldn't help but smile. "Congratulations," they heard before she closed her door.)

"Rick? Can I ask you something?" She was happy and satisfied, physically and emotionally. Her head laid on his shoulder while she watched how the diamond caught the light and he watched her.

"Anything."

"In the hospital, when you said that both gifts couldn't have the same inscription, had you already bought this ring?"

He laughed. "Your father asked the same question when I went to talk to him a few days ago. No, I hadn't bought it yet."

"Yet. Hmmm. But you were already planning to, weren't you?"

"You know, you'd make a pretty decent detective." That earned him a mock-slap across his abs.

"Can I ask when you bought it?"

"Why?"

"I'm just curious when you knew. For sure."

"Ah. Well, that's a different question."

She rolled over onto her stomach, halfway on top of him so she could look in his eyes. She smiled seductively. "If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

He grinned. "You're irresistible, you know?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I knew I wanted you when I first met you. I liked you more and more, the better I got to know you. I knew I really wanted to date you when I wanted to punch out Demming. I knew I wanted _only_ you during the magician case. I knew I wanted to marry you… I don't know, it kinda grew, but I was ready to try for it by the time we were in the radiation tent. When you said what was missing with Josh - I wanted to be that guy for you, and I was about to say so, too. Then that guy came in to say we could go."

She was stunned by his confession. He was running his fingers through her hair and up and down her smooth back.

"And I bought the ring after I left the bakery, before I went to the precinct."

"Wait, after our first date?"

He just grinned. "And now it's your turn."

Oh, wait, was she really willing to admit that much? But she started this, didn't she?

"OK, here goes. It crushed me to see you walk away with Gina. And again when you came back and you were still _with_ Gina. I knew I wanted you around, even if you could break my heart, during your first case back. I knew how much I really _wanted_ you when you kissed me. Then you saved me from Lockwood, and I almost took you home with me that night. I knew in the freezer that if I had to die in someone's arms, I was glad I was in yours. I think I even tried to say 'I love you,' before I passed out. I knew I couldn't resist you anymore in LA. And I knew I needed you to fight for me, because I was too scared, when we fought in my apartment."

She actually left out a lot in that confession, including thinking about making "little Castle babies" while she was dating Demming, that she broke up with him for Castle, and how she fantasized about him during the dominatrix case (especially after the 'sticky versus slippery' conversation), but it was enough for now. He was appropriately shocked.

Rick shook his head. "So you're saying we could have been together more than a year sooner? You need to work on that. You should really try to be less complicated. As much as we're on the same wavelength at work, I can't read your mind. Tell me what you want, Katherine. All you ever have to do is tell me, and it's yours."

She grinned, kissed him lightly, and let her fingers start to roam. "Well. Right now, I want _you_. And later, I'll want coffee. And then, I'll want to call my dad and Lanie. And by that time, I'll probably want _you_ again. And then-"

He kissed that silly grin right off her face, happily giving her exactly what she wanted.

_x_

_That was too cliché, but oh well. Hope you liked it. Reviews are like addictive like Belgian chocolate. They make me feel good, despite knowing I don't need them to survive. I just really like them._


	21. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

"Daddy, were you crying earlier?"

"Yeah, Sweetie, I was."

"What's wrong?"

"I got some sad news earlier. My Grampa Rick and Gramma Kate… well… you know how at their 50th Anniversary party, they said they were going to do some travelling?"

"Uh huh. To the Holy Lands."

"That's right. You're a smart little girl. Well, they were on their way home. And their plane went down over the ocean. It hasn't been found yet."

"Oh. Are they dead?" He cringed a little at his four-year-old's lack of tact.

"Uh… well… we don't know. But… probably."

"Daddy? Can I have that old picture of Gramma Kate when she's little and playing with her mom and dad? The one with the ring? 'Cause she looks just like me. Plus, it's okay, because didn't Mommy say at the anniversary party that they were the kind of old people who would die at the same time; you know, if one died from being _so so_ old, then the other would just die from missing them a week later?"

"I'm sure Mommy said it in a much sweeter way, but yes, I think they were that kind of couple. And I'm sure Gramma Kate would love for you to have that picture. That's her mother's engagement ring, you know."

"I know. She told me all about it, and how Grampa Rick had the frame made for her. It was very romantical." The little girl had a wistful smile.

"It was."

"If they get found, can I put her 'Always' ring on the chain,too?"

"We'll see, baby." She didn't notice how sad he looked.

"I asked Great Aunt 'Lexis how old Grampa Rick and Gramma Kate were at the party. She said, 'Older than dirt.' How old is that?"

He laughed. "Aunt Alexis is a trip, isn't she? Let's see… I think she would be 85 and he would be 92."

"_Wow_… that is _really_ old!"

He smiled. "Okay, Sweetheart, what bedtime story would you like?"

"How 'bout the one he wrote for you when you were a little boy?"

"Perfect choice, m'lady."

He went to the book case and took the book from a box on a high shelf, where it was protected from tiny fingers. He snuggled up next to his biggest daughter - the other was asleep in her crib - and wrapped his arm around her.

"Grampa Rick used to read this to us when we spent the night, and Gramma Kate would sigh and roll her eyes and smile through the whole thing. But she always listened to it, all the way through. And they'd give each other sappy looks and smile."

He took a deep breath and wondered if his sisters and their cousins were all getting out the same book right now.

"A Minstrel's Tale, by Richard Castle."

He dramatically opened the cover to read the dedication. "To our grandchildren. May you have courage and strength, wisdom and honor, kindness and mercy. May you act as a valiant knight fighting for justice and with compassion. Know that you are loved greatly, always."

He turned the page and began the story. He knew exactly where each of the sighs, eye rolls, sappy looks, and smiles would take place if his grandparents were in the room. He tried to imitate his grandfather's rich, expressive voice as he read. His little girl snuggled closer, delighted in the vivid pictures, and listened to the magical words.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young maiden, Lady Katherine of Beckett. She was schooled in the arts and sciences and lived a joyful life with her parents, Lord James and Lady Johanna. There had been rumors of a dangerous dragon lurking about in the nearby mountains, and one day, that dragon swooped down and gobbled Lady Johanna up. Lady Katherine was deeply saddened and vowed to slay the evil dragon. However, the king's law required one to be a knight before embarking on a dragon-slaying quest. Emboldened by stories of Joan of Arc and Mulan, Lady Katherine decided to become a knight herself. She spent several years in the uniform of a squire, then finally earned the coveted dubbing of knighthood.

However, the dragon proved difficult to find. He was sinister and intelligent. He hid from her for many years. So Lady Katherine set off on many other worthy quests. She found justice for peasants and nobles alike. It was difficult labor. So in the evenings, she would relax by the fire with scrolls of stories from the castle's minstrel. She had seen him before, once, and found him to be quite ruggedly handsome.

Yet one day, she found herself needing his help. She donned her shield and weapon and went into the castle's front gate. 'Sir Richard the Minstrel?' she asked when she found him. He turned and was immediately besotted. She was perhaps the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He helped the beautiful lady knight, then requested that the king grant him permission to accompany her on her journeys. Lady Katherine at first did not appreciate his intrusion, but quickly warmed, as much thanks to the minstrel's enchanting daughter as to his magnetic charm and rapier wit. The minstrel often was able to help her accomplish her quests and cheer her disposition. He quickly learned that the life of a knight was dangerous and purchased his own suit of armor.

Together, they journeyed far and wide, undertaking quests of the most bizarre nature, the ones the other knights dared not to endeavor. Then, one dark day, the dragon returned, striking down a fellow knight, one that had become dear to both Lady Katherine and Sir Richard. And as they laid their comrade to rest, the dragon struck again, piercing Lady Katherine with its razor-sharp talons.

Sir Richard was desolate and despairing, for he had fallen in love with the fair knight. But she did not die. Slowly, she was nursed back to health. Lord James and Sir Richard never left her side, aiding her in any way they could until she regained her strength. Lord James encouraged the minstrel to make his love known to Lady Katherine, for he suspected that she secretly returned his love. Sir Richard accepted the sage advice and, through dashing chivalry, won his lady's heart.

They joyfully married and continued their noble quests as well as their search for the hated dragon. Until they found him. The battle was heated. Other knights joined the fight, but at long last, the tired and injured beautiful knight faced the dragon with the minstrel, just as tired and injured, by her side. And there, she found justice. The beast would never hurt anyone again. It was done.

The minstrel took his wife back to their manor. But their rest did not last long, for the kingdom was constantly in need of a knight in shining armor. They continued helping all the people of the land, and welcomed two more beautiful children along the way, just as spirited and courageous as their parents, also helping those in their paths who needed it. They each had trials but persevered through them by counting on one another, having faith, and believing in magic and double rainbows. In the end, Lady Katherine and Sir Richard lived a long and fulfilled life, together, always. The end."

He kissed his daughter's head as her eyes drooped shut.

He looked at the cartoon drawing of his grandparents in their suits of armor. "I'll miss you guys."

_x_

_x_

_Okay! That's it! I borrowed the storybook title & idea from Minstrel164's story, which you can read here: .net/s/7234754/1/ . It's a cute story of Rick talking to Kate while she's in a coma, telling her the story of the pilot episode in the style of Chaucer._

_I'd be super happy if you bounced over and read my other stories, reviewing them along the way, because you know how I feel about reviews. I've already written the first chapter of my next story, so if you want to read it, click on all those alert boxes below. _

_And for the record, in real life, I don't cuss or talk about sex, so writing it weird for me; but I totally agree with what Jim said about faith & God & Christ. _

_And to you younger readers like TAS2014, don't forget this is fiction. Sex isn't a good idea with someone you're not married to, because it makes the heartbreak and memories so much tougher to bear when the relationship ends. People almost never end up with their first love. Please believe me, it's worth the wait._

_God bless, thanks for reading, and please review. Because they're addictive like seeing everyday miracles._


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